1. Mindset Article: Are Your Looks Holding You Back?

2. Announcement: A New Page for Small Business Owners

3. Featured Site: Ideas2Market

4. Event Review: Paul Zane Pilzer

5. Upcoming Events: Ed Burton

Are Your Looks Holding You Back?

Yes, I confess – I'm a fan of Dr. Phil. I sometimes catch his television program if I'm taking a mid-afternoon break. I find him down to earth and full of common sense in his approach to people's problems, even if I don't necessarily agree with everything he says.

A few weeks ago Dr. Phil made a comment about differentiating between self-image and body image and I thought it was a very powerful distinction.

Too often we align our self-image with what we look like. In a way this is understandable, considering that popular culture is obsessed with good-looking celebrities. But this isn't really a new phenomenon. We women have traditionally measured ourselves against our society's version of a feminine ideal. And the notion that you have to be attractive to succeed affects men too.

Many men allow themselves to be handicapped by a belief that they're too short, too tall, too youthful-looking, too old or too unattractive to be successful in their fields. This affects their behavior so that they don't project the necessary self-confidence to be taken seriously by those around them. It's the behavior that's the real roadblock but they're not aware of this, so they fall back on blaming their appearance for their failures. Since appearance is something they believe they can't change, they're stuck in a self-defeating mindset.

At present, women have an even harder time with self-image than in previous eras. Most of the actresses, models, singers and other female celebrities splashed all over the media are not only impossibly beautiful but have near-perfect bodies which are readily displayed in revealing outfits. (I remember when Pamela Anderson was considered trashy – she looked positively normal at the recent music awards ceremony.)

Unless you're as genetically blessed – or as surgically enhanced - as these women, you're always going to come up short if you compare yourself physically to them.

Men are also under more pressure now to look good. The current version of girl power has young women evaluating men by their 'cute buns' and great bodies. The men of Manpower, the Chippendales, and other male stripper/dancer style troupes set up the same near-impossible physical standards for men to measure themselves against. And then there are the movies. How many men of your acquaintance look like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

What Dr. Phil suggested is that you separate your body image from your self-image or self worth. If you can honestly assess your worth as a human being, acknowledging your talents, your gifts, your contribution to the world and your positive attitudes and qualities, you can choose to work on any shortcomings you may discover during this process.

You can also work on your body image, but the trick is to regard it as a separate issue. While it may be important for you to drop some extra pounds, get a new haircut or buy a better wardrobe, keep clear in your mind that these things have nothing to do with your worth as a person.

Some people feel that altering your body image is about conforming to what your society decrees is attractive or acceptable, and that this is an unhealthy behavior. But you can look at it another way. Life will certainly flow more smoothly if you fit in with the 'norm' rather than fighting against the tide. You can still find ways to express your individuality within that relatively loose framework.

We've all seen the power of makeovers to transform even the most non-descript person into what society considers an attractive one, so a change of body image is within the realm of the possible for just about anyone. And the real benefits to working on this (apart from any incidental health benefits) are psychological. When you feel more confident about your appearance, you'll most likely behave better towards other people, instead of barreling through life with a chip on your shoulder or the defiance of someone who dares other to criticize him. And other people will respond more positively to you, making it easier for you to get whatever you want in whatever situation you find yourself.

What can you change today to improve your body image?

And more importantly, what do your need to do to become the person you've always wanted to be?

Don't procrastinate. Make one change today and notice the results.

Ideas2Market

This web site, created by the Queensland Government's Department of Innovation and Information Economy, is designed to guide people through the process of starting (and building) their own businesses.

It is reputed to be the only web site in the world that focuses on the commercialization process, that is, the process of bringing your ideas to the marketplace. So even if you live in a country other than Australia and you're planning to start your own business (or already own one), you should find some useful information here.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a three-day workshop sponsored by Ideas2Market in April 2003. Although I had completed a Small Business Management Course the previous year, this program provided me with so much more essential information. It was inspiring and practical, as well as a great networking experience. If you are a Queensland resident and you have a chance to attend one of their workshops, grab it!

If not, the web site will provide you with much of the information we received over the three days.

Ideas2Market takes you through the various stages involved in developing your business, from pre start-up through start-up to the growth stage. Key issues covered include

Feasibility
Entrepreneurship
Intellectual Property
Business Structures
Business Plans
Organization
and much more

You can reach us any time at admin@hidden-wealth-keys.com