Do You Have an Alter Ego and Reasons Why You Should
In the ever-constant attempt to work on and reinvent myself, I have recently decided to create an alter ego. Why not? It works for Beyonce, who channels Sasha Fierce onstage. David Bowie who became Ziggy Stardust for a little while. Kobe Bryant coined the term “Mamba Mentality” through his alter ego “Black Mamba.” And I’m sure we all at one point played “pretend” as children where we were superheroes, princesses, champions, and magical beings. In those moments, we were unstoppable, invincible, and cared not about the opinions of others. And then we became adults and forgot about those alter egos living inside of us.
Self-esteem, often described as the confidence and self-worth one holds, plays a significant role in our overall well-being. It influences our decisions, relationships, and how we perceive ourselves. Sometimes, building self-esteem can be challenging, especially when faced with self-doubt or insecurity. I have found that creating an alter ego in my mind is a creative and effective technique that is helping me boost my self-esteem.
What is an Alter Ego?
An alter ego is a fictional persona or character that you mentally adopt to represent the qualities, characteristics, or traits you aspire to possess or emphasize. Think of it as your inner superhero, a confident, empowered version of yourself who embodies the attributes you wish to nurture and showcase in your everyday life.
How an Alter Ego Boosts Self-Esteem
Confidence Amplification: Your alter ego can exude the confidence you sometimes struggle to muster. By mentally stepping into this character, you can borrow their self-assuredness to tackle challenges and take risks with greater certainty.
Fear Conquering: An alter ego can help you confront and overcome fears or insecurities that may have held you back. You can draw upon these traits when facing intimidating situations by personifying courage and resilience in your alter ego.
Setting Boundaries: Your alter ego can serve as a protective shield, allowing you to establish and maintain healthy boundaries in various aspects of your life. This can help prevent feelings of being taken advantage of or disrespected.
Positive Self-Talk: The conversations you have with your alter ego can be remarkably positive and uplifting. This self-affirmation can gradually replace self-doubt and negative self-talk, leading to a more positive self-image.
Goal Achievement: Your alter ego can be a goal-oriented version of yourself. Setting and achieving goals as this character can lead to a sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, boosts self-esteem.
Creating Your Alter Ego
Identify Your Desired Traits: Start by pinpointing the qualities or attributes you want to emphasize. These could include confidence, assertiveness, resilience, or even a specific skill.
Choose a Name and Persona: Give your alter ego a name and create a persona for them. This could be inspired by a fictional character, a historical figure, or something entirely unique. The key is that it resonates with you. I still haven’t found mine yet, but I’ve written down a few ideas and have been enjoying the process of finding that name.
Visualization: Close your eyes and imagine stepping into your alter ego's shoes. Visualize how they look, talk, and behave. Embrace their confidence and self-assuredness.
Mental Conversations: When faced with a challenging situation or in need of a self-esteem boost, have a mental conversation with your alter ego. Ask for their guidance, and let them provide you with positive affirmations and advice.
Practice and Consistency: Building a strong alter ego takes time and practice. Be consistent in embodying this persona and lean on it whenever you need an extra dose of self-esteem.
How to Practice Your Alter Ego
Use It at Events: If you are at all shy or introverted, especially at lifestyle events, act like your alter ego would. What kind of conversations would they have? Who would they talk to? How would they be around your partner?
Express Them Through Costume and Clothing: One thing I’ve always loved about our events is the theme nights. It’s brilliant! Because we still love to play dress up. We love the cohesiveness of everyone knowing the theme and playing along with it, being able to work with each other’s characters. It practically begs for you to have an alter ego. Next time you dress for a lifestyle event, use it as an opportunity to debut your alter ego.
Play With Them in the Bedroom: Maybe your alter ego does things in the sack that you’d never dream of doing. Or maybe they’re more dominant? Maybe they initiate? Next time you want to try something new in bed (obviously with consent), act as your alter ego and see how that plays out. You may or may not tell your partner, but allow it to let your inhibitions go and set you free.
Channel Them When Faced with Negativity: How would your alter ego react to a negative situation? Would they go about it the same way as you do now? Or would they be cool? Would they negotiate? Would they speak up? Would they rise above? Let that superhero inside of you save you from the situation.
Creating an alter ego in your mind can be a fun and transformative way to enhance self-esteem. It's not about being inauthentic; instead, it's a tool for unlocking the self-confidence and inner strength that already exist within you. By nurturing your alter ego and allowing it to guide you in challenging situations, you can build a healthier self-image, develop greater self-esteem, and embark on a journey of personal growth and empowerment. So, embrace your inner superheroes and let them help you become the best version of yourself.
