The Book That Changed How I Saw Myself: A Personal Reflection on Psycho-Cybernetics
A while back, someone casually recommended a book on social media, one I had never heard of before: Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. I didn’t know it then, but that book would completely shift the way I saw myself, and it quietly laid the foundation for what would later become Blooming Intention.
Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon in the 1950s who noticed something unexpected in his patients: even after physical transformations, many still held onto the same emotional pain and limiting beliefs about themselves. That led him to explore the concept of self-image, the deeply ingrained mental picture we carry of who we are and what we’re capable of. And the book’s core message is this:
We always act and feel in accordance with the image we hold of ourselves.
That idea hit me hard. I started reflecting on my own self-image. I realized how many beliefs I had internalized over the years without even noticing:
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“I’m not good at math.”
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“I can’t make a living through art.”
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“I’m just quiet. I don’t speak up.”
- "Nobody cares about what I have to say."
None of those things were objectively true. But because I believed them, I acted accordingly. I avoided challenges. I downplayed my voice. I steered away from dreams before even trying.
What Psycho-Cybernetics taught me is that your brain is like a goal-seeking mechanism, kind of like a self-guided missile. When you give it a clear “target” (in this case, your self-image), your mind and body will automatically steer you toward behaviors that align with that identity. Whether that identity is helpful or harmful is up to you.
But here's the empowering part: you can change your self-image.
Dr. Maltz introduced powerful techniques like visualization, mental rehearsal, and affirmations as tools to rewire the subconscious mind. Not through force, but through repetition and gentle awareness.
The more you "see" youself as someone confident, capable, creative, or worthy, the more your actins begin to reflect that new identity.
This idea resonates so deeply with me. It helped me realize that inner change doesn’t happen through willpower alone, it happens by creating a new internal blueprint. One rooted in self-compassion, not self-judgment.
That’s why I eventually created Blooming Intention, to turn this philosophy into a hands-on experience. My cross stitch kits aren’t just about creativity; they’re designed to help you plant empowering affirmations into your mind, one slow, mindful stitch at a time.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in an old version of yourself (if you’ve ever wanted to become someone new but didn’t know how to start) I can’t recommend Psycho-Cybernetics enough. It was the first step in my personal growth journey, and its ideas continue to shape the way I show up in the world today.
And if you’re looking for a gentle, creative practice to help anchor those positive beliefs into your daily life, I invite you to browse my collection of cross stitch kits. They’re here to support your growth, calm your mind, and help you create something beautiful, both on the fabric and within yourself.
