Summer Camp Gets Rid of Negative Self-image

If we were to summarize in a word why people, especially teens, wear masks, it would be FIMAGE.

What’s FIMAGE? It’s short for Fear of Image.

You don’t have to look far into a group of young people to see examples of all the things they do to create an image. It’s in their clothing, music, language, attitude, hair, make-up, hobbies – even in their choice of friends. Why do people have an image? To keep themselves looking good. Some people spend a lot of time creating and preserving their image. They avoid things that make them look uncool; things that aren’t good for their image. They fear damage to their image. That’s FIMAGE.

SuperCamp grad Sarah Samuel wrote, “If you have FIMAGE, it means you aren’t comfortable doing certain things because of fear of what other people will think of you. You don’t have self-confidence and you’re always worrying.

As teens go deeper into their exploration of their own FIMAGE, they come to a major realization – by constantly fearing what will happen if they don’t maintain their image, life will pass them by. If they want to branch out, try new things, and find out who they really are, they have to let go of their image!

Camper Dominique DeRoche told us, “It was hard at first to let go of FIMAGE, but it made me feel better after I let go, and now I’m not paranoid about how I appear to people.”

In our process, teens have the opportunity to do some wacky things in front of their peers to practice letting go of their FIMAGE. In the context of a bunch of fun high-energy games, they can make crazy faces, ridiculous sounds, or fall on the carpet writhing and screaming. Nobody can look cool doing these things – that’s the point. They can have the experience of looking uncool in front of their peers and being totally okay with it. We facilitators do it with them, so it’s all a big group experience. We take it to the extreme so they know they can take it to the middle on their own. In the end they realize that not only did they not get ridiculed or rejected, they actually had a lot of fun.

Teens speak with a lot of enthusiasm about life beyond FIMAGE. “Letting go of FIMAGE makes your life greater because you let go of the insecurities you have about what others think of you,” camper Bre Steinbarth told us. “You open up and let others see you without your mask. I created my own style, and I’m not afraid to act like myself and talk to other people.”

“It feels good letting go and being able to be a ‘weirdo’ and have no one judge you,” wrote camper Joe Dugan.

Camper James Ohnoki told us, “It’s like taking a 100-pound bag of rice off your shoulders, like finally being free after being chained to a tree.”

Camper Jordan Walton said, “I was able to show who I truly was for the first time.”

Related Negative Self Image Articles

Question by Creme de la Creme: HELP! I need some ADVICE for my persausive speech! PLEASE?
My topic is: “The media’s negative influence on the publics self-image.” The two problems I’m presenting in my persuasive speech are the increase of eating disorders and the increase of cosmetic surgery use in attempts to like the “ideal beauty” the media presents us with. I need two solutions now since this is a persuasive speech! Should I make it like, how to love your body the way it is and…yea, I’m stumped now! Finding your inner beauty? An suggestions? I took out nine books from the library and found great stuff, but I’m still having trouble setting up my outline. Please help me! I would appreciate it so much!

Best answer:

Answer by ross
Is the media the cause or reflection of the self-image of those who watch it?

How can you find your inner beauty if you continue to get your cues from the media? We can teach the skill of critiquing the media .I sat with my son and asked questions about tv shows and commercials. I gave little if any of my own opinions (though they were in my questions) Eventually he quit needing to have the clothes everyone else did. The media is actually an aid because when you get past its illusion it has no power.

Inner beauty comes from being compassionate and the natural feelings that follow instead of fashion or body proportions.

May your speech be super-persuasive,

edit. I say my opinions were in my questions. My son could infer my opinions cause he knew me, but I gave him the opportunity to express his own so they were no longer mine.

There is compassion for self as well as for others. Doing something well and learning a skill is rewarding because it helps both self and others. The feelings of accomplishment will not separate self from others. It takes time, practice and help from others to build the sense of trust that a person can accomplish things within the world. No one is an island, so the world and the person are working together on this Choosing helpers is an important skill. Eventually you find that the media is not one that you utilize without discrimination.

just some more thoughts that came as I go out the door.

One more thing. let the subject dance around in your mind for a while. Eventually its order will come together as an outline, as you say. It will be yours then, even though it comes together mysteriously.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Can You Use the Law of Attraction to Change a Negative Self-Image?

You probably already know this, but if you are going to successfully transform your life through the Law of Attraction, the first thing you will have to do is believe that you deserve what you want.

Unfortunately, most people suffer from a very low self-image. This, in turn, causes them to lack confidence and any belief on their part that they deserve the good things in life.

The problem then becomes a kind of a Catch-22. You want things to change in your life for the better, but you find you are unable to take the steps necessary to successfully use the Law of Attraction in this endeavor because you don’t believe you really deserve anything better than what you have.

Now, the Law of Attraction follows your thoughts, which will automatically follow your beliefs until you take conscious control of those thoughts, and learn through practice to redirect them to concentrating on what you want.

So the first thing you have to work on is a new self-image.

Take a lined piece of paper and write down, quickly and without too much analysis, at least ten things that you think are facts about yourself.

Then write down ten things that you have been told about yourself by authority figures (like parents, teachers, etc.), and peers.

Don’t just concentrate on negative things, but do be completely honest with this list. After all, you are the only one who is going to see it.

Now, for every negative thing, write down the opposite in the form of an affirmation. Make it a short, present tense statement.

For example, if others have told you that you are a slow learner, write down something like, “I learn things quickly and I grasp concepts easily.”

If you think you have a poor memory, try an affirmation like, “I easily retain and instantly access any information that I need.”

If you think, for any reason whatsoever, that you do not deserve the good things that life has to offer, change it with an affirmation like, “I am worthy and deserving of the best life has to offer.”

Some people can work with as many as ten affirmations at a time; I personally have found it easier to choose just three and work with them until my beliefs shift.

However many you choose to work with let them become a kind of a mantra that you repeat as often as possible. One of the best times to do this is while taking a shower, because you can say them out loud and no one but you and your inner self will hear them.

At first you may feel as though you are lying to yourself. But please keep in mind the following: it’s entirely possible that you have been living your life up until now based upon lies, intentional or otherwise.

So give yourself a chance by doing this.

You have nothing to lose, and after a few days the Law of Attraction will begin the necessary steps to align your new thinking with the infinite possibilities of the Universe, the good things you want will gravitate toward you because of your new, positive self-image.

Teen girl villainized by mom
“I’m tired of her raiding my closet.” Marcia vented about her 16-year-old daughter, Danielle, in our counseling session. “She has plenty of her own clothes – what’s her problem? And she’s always using my makeup – expensive stuff.
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