Positive Self-Esteem Cultivates Success
Others Can Only Make You Feel Inferior if You Allow Them
Jul 9, 2009
Exactly what makes people so different when it comes to how they feel about themselves and their value to the world?
Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself and how you see yourself compared to others. It is recognizing your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses. People who have healthy self-esteem are better equipped to deal with life's daily challenges and stressors. They bounce back from adversity quicker than other people and they accept that challenging situations will only make them stronger.
What Creates Positive Self-esteem?
Positive self-esteem is derived from a combination of things occurring in life. Babies are born with no feeling of good or poor self-esteem. It is something they learn and develop as they grow. As children, we begin to formulate impressions and ideas about ourselves and others. As we progress through this process, we form our own internal values and we determine how we feel about the value we have to offer to the world. The result is either healthy or poor self-esteem.
Some of the ways to improve self-esteem include:
- Recognize that you are responsible for the decisions you make and the actions you take. You are in control and you have the ability to make decisions and accept the results of those decisions.
- Your worth as an individual does not depend on being perfect -- it depends on being the best you can be and doing the best job possible. That does not mean you must be perfect. People with high self-esteem are also far from perfect!
- Every person is a very unique individual with different qualities and characteristics. How you use those qualities and attributes is up to you. When you leverage your skills and abilities to their fullest, you can improve your self-esteem.
- Everyone has the right to be forgiven for past mistakes. As we've already stated, no one is perfect. When you make a mistake, the most important thing is to learn from that mistake. Figure out what went wrong and build on that knowledge. That will help you build self-confidence and self-esteem.
- You are the only person who can dictate what success means to you and your life. Do not measure yourself by the accomplishments of others. Decide what is important to you and focus on that goal. The world needs gardeners, school custodians, professors, and engineers. Each one is successful in their own right.
- Establish and meet your own expectations and you will improve your self-esteem. Goals are an important part of life and accomplishing goals is a great way to improve self-esteem.
- Do not allow others to make you feel inferior. You are a special and unique individual with much to offer. Others can only make you feel worthless and inferior if you allow them to.
- Believe in yourself and believe that you can succeed. When you have confidence in your ability to achieve and succeed, your self-esteem escalates simultaneously.
Appreciation for Others Builds Self-esteem
In addition to the above suggestions for improving self-esteem, it's also important to to think about others and their value to the world. Learning to value, appreciate, and thank others for the things they do increases a person's own self-worth. Giving thanks to others for the work they do or the things they say demonstrates appreciation and recognition of their value as an individual -- positively influencing their self-esteem and self-confidence. Once a person begins to recognize the value and importance of each and every person they meet, they can also begin to cultivate their own self-esteem more fully.
Everyone has something different to offer to the world. Some people are more visible in the public eye, but that does not mean that they are more valuable than others. Success has different meanings for different people and when people achieve the things they want to achieve, they are successful. That is one of the building blocks to healthy self-esteem. Recognizing others for their accomplishments and achievements is also a building block that makes each individual even more secure in their own self-esteem.
Manage Perspective
When it comes to living a fulfilling, rewarding life with positive self-esteem, it is essential to keep all things in perspective. Each individual has the unique opportunity to make a difference and have an impact on the world in some way. Keeping life in perspective and understanding that every person has their own definition of success will help individuals cultivate their own personal feelings of self-worth. No matter where a person fits in life socially, economically, or personally, they should be proud of who they are and feel good about their value to the world.
People should never assume they cannot accomplish the things that are important to them. With determination, will-power, and a strong desire to succeed, success is just around the corner. Healthy self-esteem is not a means to an end - it is the beginning of a happy, fulfilling life filled with adventure.
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