Self-esteem can be defined as follows:
It is the ability to validate one self and be able to experience joy. It is having the belief that you are worthy and deserving of love, joy, security, good health, abundance, satisfaction and fulfillment, simply because you are you, and not because of what you do, or because of what you have.
Having self-worth is not dependent on having someone else to make you feel good. Self worth comes from the inside first. However, self worth is stunted from the outside in.
A person has self worth because he or she knows he or she is fine as is, that he or she adds value to the world because he or she is him or herself; he or she recognizes that it is not about being perfect but being aware of one’s strengths and qualities and being open to continuous growth and development.
Self-esteem is also based on one’s perception of what they are contributing to the world from doing what matters to them (not what is deemed important by others), doing it to the best of their abilities, learning, and growing from that place.
Know that only you the individual can choose to permanently hide your magnificence from the world, and feel less than worthy of all the success you deserve. I know that might seem harsh to some of you, let me explain.
It all boils down to this: Your self-esteem is deeply rooted in your beliefs and thoughts of yourself. It’s about how you see the world, not about how others see you. Knowing that you have the power to choose your thoughts - you can change your level of self esteem.
"It’s surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others." Sidney J. Harris
Your thoughts repeated over and over lead to your beliefs and feelings. Your beliefs and feelings lead to your actions and your actions lead to your results. If you want more success you need to change any pattern of thinking that is detrimental to your self esteem and therefore to your success. Instilling a strong sense of self within will increase your chances of success.
Step 1 Examine the beliefs you hold.
Increasing your self-esteem and self worth is not so much about doing as it is about gaining new awareness, and changing your way of thinking to a way that is more empowering for you. It requires examining the beliefs you currently hold.
"You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you." Brian Tracy
Step 2 Release the beliefs those that no longer serve you.
You may want to think of your mind, as a computer and that you now need to install new software. Software is invisible yet oh so powerful in determining how your machine (mind) works.
You hold the power in your mind and your heart, to feel of value, and to add value to the world by the way you think, the way you interact with others, the way you care (this is not about being a martyr), and by how you choose to do what you do.
"Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important, in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not." Nathaniel Hawthorne
Step 3 Be continuously aware, of the external forces that test your resolve.
Frequently, people develop low self-esteem because of the erroneous messages that they have received from their relationships, their church, their culture, and other outside forces. They internalize false assumptions about how to have their needs met. When a person starts to believe things about him or herself or their gender that are false, un-serving and unhealthy ways of reacting are taken on. Doubts may surface and the self-esteem is challenged.
Our media further challenges our internal stand of who we are. For example, over stimulation and attention is drawn to making the comparisons of the “perfectâ€
