There are many different terms surrounding the "self," each describing countless aspects. Often seen as a reactive factor to circumstances, as an attitude, as an interaction with the immediate environment, and in how we exist in the world and perceive ourselves. In the process of developing my wordmark (SelbstwirkKRAFT) and creating the accompanying concept (work in progress), I've researched all sorts of words used around the self. This is how this glossary came about, which I don't want to withhold from you. A little extra: Instead of neutral definitions, I've rephrased them. Thus, you'll also find a large collection of possible affirmations here. Reading through this will already have a positive effect, even more so if you read it aloud. But one doesn't have to overdo it right away 😉 For easier navigation, I've divided the terms into categories. Have fun looking through it. And if you find a term missing, please let me know!

1. Self-acceptance and self-respect

Self-acceptance

I am ready to accept myself as I am, with all my strengths and weaknesses, without judging myself for them.

Self-worth

I feel an inner recognition and appreciation for myself, based on my own standards.

Self-test

I regularly take time to evaluate my knowledge, behavior, or emotional states, often using specific questions or methods.

Self-friendship

I have a friendly, calm relationship with myself that makes life easier for me.

Self-love

I practice a positive and loving attitude towards myself, take care of my needs, and treat myself with respect.

Self-acceptance

I am open to accepting myself as I am, without judging myself for my weaknesses or mistakes.

Self-care

I consciously integrate activities and routines into my daily life that promote my own well-being and mental health.

Self-respect

I show respect and regard for myself in my behavior and my decisions.

Complacency

I feel internally calm and content with my life and my accomplished goals.

Self-sufficiency

I value my ability to be autonomous and independent, and I don't constantly rely on the approval or support of others.

Self-confidence

I have confidence in my abilities and decisions, which strengthens my self-esteem.

Self-assurance

I can behave confidently in interpersonal relationships without dominating others or subordinating myself.

2. Self-awareness and Self-perception

Self-image

I have an individual conception of myself, in which I consider my identity, abilities, and characteristics.

Self-referentiality

I actively shape my self-image by adapting it to experiences, insights, and changes.

Self-confidence

I am aware of my existence, personality, thoughts, and feelings, and I can position myself in my environment.

Self-knowledge

I have a deep understanding of myself, including my strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and values.

Self-reflection

I critically reflect on my own thoughts, actions, and emotions to better understand why I think and act the way I do.

Self-reflection

I continuously practice reflecting on my thought processes and perspectives to deepen my understanding of myself.

self-concept

I have a comprehensive understanding of who I am as a person, including my identity, values, and beliefs.

Self-awareness

I am consciously aware of my own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to better understand myself.

Self-confidence development

I am continuously developing my self-confidence by deepening and expanding my understanding of myself.

Self-expression

I have the ability to express my feelings, thoughts, and personality in authentic ways.

Confession of faith

I clearly and consciously acknowledge my own values, beliefs, and principles and integrate them as an expression of my identity.

3. Self-Development and Self-Improvement

Self-development

I am consciously committed to continuously changing and maturing in order to develop and expand my full potential.

Self-experience

I am consciously taking the time to experience my own thoughts, emotions, and actions and to gain deep insights about myself.

Self-discovery

I am actively engaged in a process of seeking my own identity, values, and life goals in order to develop a clearer understanding of myself.

Self-management

I consciously organize my resources, time, and energy to effectively achieve my personal and professional goals.

Self-optimization

I am specifically striving to improve myself in various areas of life to increase my personal well-being and performance.

Assertiveness

I appropriately assert my own interests, needs, and beliefs without dominating others.

Personal responsibility

I consciously take responsibility for my decisions, actions, and their consequences, regardless of external influences.

Self-responsibility

I consistently take responsibility for my own life and am prepared to bear the consequences of my decisions.

Self-commitment

I am actively willing to commit myself to my goals, values, or principles and to stand up for them.

Self-purpose rationale

I can clearly justify my actions and decisions by understanding their meaning and purpose.

Self-actualization

I strive to reach my full potential, achieve personal goals, and develop my skills.

Self-actualization

I feel a deep-seated need for personal growth and a fulfilling life, characterized by the pursuit of my goals.

Desire for self-actualization

It is my inner drive to unfold my own potential, achieve personal goals, and lead a fulfilling life.

Self-education

I am continuously committed to expanding my knowledge and understanding by actively learning and developing myself intellectually.

Self-improvement

I am specifically working on improving my own abilities, knowledge, or achievements to a higher level.  

4. Self-control and self-regulation:

Self-control

I consciously control my impulses, emotions, or actions to achieve my long-term goals.

Self-control

I keep a clear head and avoid impulsive reactions in emotional or challenging situations.

Comfort

I feel a sense of inner well-being and am content with myself and my life situation.

Self-determination

I make my own decisions independently and actively shape my life according to my own ideas.

Self-binding

I consciously commit myself to certain actions, goals, or principles that I have set for myself.

Self-affirmation

I'm looking for validation, recognition, or approval from myself to boost my self-esteem.

Self-assessment

I am evaluating and judging my own abilities, achievements, or personality.

self-audit

I regularly review my own thoughts, actions, or results to gain clear insight.

Self-assessment process

I systematically go through a process where I analyze and evaluate my own performance, goals, or behaviors.

Confidence training

I am intentionally developing my awareness of my own thoughts, emotions, and actions to gain a deeper understanding of myself.

Self-confidence

I have confidence in my own abilities, decisions, and how I handle different life situations.

Self-regulation

I actively manage my own emotions, impulses, and behaviors to maintain a balanced equilibrium.

Self-control

I am independently responsible for my actions and decisions in order to achieve my personal goals.    

5. Self-protection and self-responsibility

Self-protection

I am taking action and acting in a way that protects myself from potential dangers, harm, or threats.

Personal responsibility

I consciously take responsibility for my own decisions, actions, and their consequences, regardless of external influences.

Self-responsibility

It is important to me to consistently take responsibility for my own life and to bear the consequences of my decisions.

Self-commitment

I consciously keep promises, commitments, or goals that I have set for myself.

Self-defense

I ensure that I have the skills and measures in place to protect myself physically, emotionally, or mentally from potential attacks or threats.

Self-assurance

I am deliberately implementing strategies and measures to ensure my own safety and well-being, both physically and mentally.

Self-surveillance

I actively monitor and observe my own behavior, thoughts, and surroundings to identify and minimize potential risks.  

6. Self-Marketing and Self-Presentation

Self-promotion

I consciously make efforts to present my own abilities, talents, or products positively and to position myself in a certain light.

Self-introduction

The way I present myself in public or in different contexts to convey a specific impression is in my own hands.

Self-portrait

Sometimes I create artistic representations of myself, be it in the form of a painting or a sculpture, to express my own self-image.

Self-representation

In different situations and towards different people, I strategically select how I present myself to communicate a specific image or identity.

Self-promotion

I am actively involved in promoting and marketing my own skills, projects, or personality to generate attention and recognition.

Self-representation

How I represent and present myself to convey a specific identity or message is within my own control.

Self-promotion

I am actively promoting my own skills, services, or products to position myself positively and draw attention to what I have to offer.

7. Self-reflection and self-examination

Introspection

I consciously take time to reflect on my own thoughts, emotions, and actions in order to develop a deeper understanding of myself.

Self-observation

I systematically direct my attention to how I behave, think, and feel in order to gain insights about myself.

Self-reflection

I regularly reflect critically on my experiences, decisions, and actions to promote my personal growth.

Self-reflection process

I am undergoing a continuous and systematic process in which I actively reflect on myself in order to make changes, improvements, or adjustments.

Self-justification

Sometimes I try to defend or explain my actions, decisions, or beliefs to myself or others.

Self-study

I independently and deeply engage with knowledge about myself to advance my personal development and self-awareness.

Self-revelation

I share personal information, feelings, or thoughts with others to be transparent and build authentic connections.

End in itself

I believe in the idea that something has value or purpose in itself, independent of external factors, especially in the context of my personal existence or actions.

Self-inspection

I am conducting a thorough examination and analysis of my inner thoughts, motivations, or values to develop a deep understanding of my own self.

Self-check

I regularly critically examine my own actions, decisions, or beliefs to ensure they align with my own values.  

8. Self-confidence and self-validation

Self-confidence

I have the ability to trust my own skills, decisions, and how I handle various life situations.

Self-affirmation

I can successfully adapt to challenges and overcome difficult situations to prove my own abilities.

Assertiveness

I am able to appropriately represent my own interests, needs, and beliefs without dominating others.

Self-efficacy

I believe that I can influence events and achieve desired outcomes through my own actions.

Self-affirmation

It is important to me to seek confirmation, recognition, or approval from myself in order to strengthen my own self-esteem.

Self-confidence development

I am continuously working to expand and deepen my awareness of my personality, abilities, and values.

Self-confidence

I have confidence in my ability to successfully complete tasks and overcome challenges.

Self-empowerment

I am taking measures and strategies to strengthen and promote my own mental or emotional strength.

Self-sovereignty

I have the ability to act independently and autonomously, without being overly influenced by external factors.  

9. Self-Transcendence and Self-Discovery

Self-transcendence

I have the ability to consciously go beyond my own limits and constraints to achieve an expanded perspective or experience.

Self-discovery

I am actively seeking my own identity, values, beliefs, and life goals to gain a deeper understanding of myself.

Self-forgetfulness

There are moments when I consciously forget my own needs, worries, or self-awareness, often by immersing myself in an activity or a higher cause.

Self-transcendence

I consciously choose to push my own boundaries, whether in terms of my abilities, ways of thinking, or comfort zones, in order to foster personal growth.

Self-transcendence

I am actively exploring the conventional boundaries of myself, whether emotional, mental, or spiritual, and expanding my perspectives.

Self-resolution

In certain experiences or processes, I perceive my individual self temporarily merging or dissolving into a larger whole.

Self-declaration

It's possible that I tend to see myself or my actions in an idealized or exaggerated way, viewing my experiences through a positive lens.

Self-overcoming

I consciously overcome personal challenges, inner resistance, or obstacles to achieve personal growth or transformation.

Self-surrender

I willingly and deeply devote myself to a cause, relationship, or higher purpose, often accompanied by a strong sense of connection and sacrifice.

Self-loss

There are moments when I feel like I am temporarily or permanently losing my sense of self-awareness or identity.  

10. Self-criticism and Self-doubt

Note: This category includes negative descriptions. If you are possibly suffering from anxiety or strong doubts, you may not necessarily want to read these questions, or only if you are feeling strong at the moment. This time, these phrases are formulated as questions, not affirmations. If you wish, use this opportunity to determine if any of them apply to you and if you might gain new insights. And then, you might find a suitable affirmation in the explanations above to counteract this negative flow 😉

Self-criticism

Am I practicing self-criticism to evaluate my own behavior and enable improvements?

Self-doubt

Do I have self-doubt and feel insecure or doubt my own abilities?

Self-disgust

Do I tend to intensely self-loathe by devaluing myself?

Self-love

Am I showing excessive self-love or self-admiration that could potentially result in narcissistic behavior?

Self-incrimination

Do I tend to blame myself for mistakes or shortcomings?

Self-abasement

Am I consciously or unconsciously belittling myself?

Self-condemnation

Am I judging my own behavior and deeming it negative or wrong?

Self-deprecation

Am I bad-mouthing myself with negative and demeaning statements?

Self-rejection

Am I suffering from self-rejection, where I reject myself and feel a sense of worthlessness?