What is self-esteem? Is it merely an opinion of how you see yourself? There are namely two levels of self-esteem, high and low. Without question it is better to have high self-esteem. It enables you to love yourself for who you are.
“It’s not what you are that is holding you back, it’s what you think you are not.” -Anonymous
But where do you get self-esteem? Well as a child, you get it from your parents. If they praised you for your achievements, chances are you have a positive outlook of yourself and life. If you were raised by critical parents, then you most likely lack a positive attitude and have an angry outlook at the world. Your negative outlook could have also been influenced by a bad relationship, friends and peers. How we feel about ourselves is based on the perception we get from others. However, if you are one of the few who can ignore the negative sentiments, then congratulations, you are a Super Human. It’s a major accomplishment to avoid being scarred by negative criticism.
In the end though, your self esteem comes from inside you. To determine your high or low, you can ask yourself some simple questions. Do you like who you are? Are you happy? Do you think you are a good person? Most of the time, the answer is “yes” even if you have your doubts. As kids we lacked self doubt, we seized the moment to be the center of attention and leader of the pack. As time moved on statements like “sit your fast ass down” and “children should be seen not heard” stuck to us like glue. In the adult years, that voice was replaced by the cross roads of life. Families split, people die, friendships end, and we get stuck in dead end jobs. Before we know it we’ve cocooned ourselves safely in our home surrounded by a comfortable lifestyle that screams MEDIOCRACY!
How do you protect your self-esteem? First, accept your flaws, decisions and realize that you are not alone. Everyone has faults but you must be willing to change in order to improve. Secondly, accept that you are unique. Not only in terms of your physical attributes but also who you are personally. Everyone has their own persona that cannot be duplicated.
“Open different doors, you may find a you there that you never knew was yours. Anything can happen.” -Mary Poppins
To get to know your persona start by writing down 50 things you like about yourself. Post them around your home, car and job for daily affirmation. Since we all grow and change daily at the end of each day write in your journal one positive action you accomplished to create a log of integrity and confidence.
Note that, when you have high self-esteem, you are less likely to do anything destructive to yourself or anyone else. You will have an easier time handling problems and resisting negative pressures. You will host the power of a positive attitude, a vibrant outlook on life and an optimistic view of the future. We are not born with high or low self-esteem. It’s compilation of life’s ups and downs. You can change it by paying more attention to life’s positive achievements and releasing the negative ones.
Live a Life of Value, Empowerment, Radiance & Boldness!
–LaDonna Yates, Creator of SHE is a VERB
Ageless Basics 