Self-esteem - Is it important?

Your self-esteem is involved in the decisions you make throughout your day. As you grew from childhood to adulthood outside influences have played a part in setting the level of your self esteem.

Do you now realize that the people who influenced yours were wrong? Were you bullied, did you grow up in a challenging home that has left your self esteem, and confidence, dented?

As an adult you have the opportunity to re-examine your level of self-esteem by asking for feedback from people you respect.

Believe it or not, criticism can be a positive thing, if you can learn to see the positives of someone valuing you enough to give you honest feedback, or constructive criticism, you can improve your performance.

Of course, more often than not, criticism will hurt your feelings, but when you can be honest with yourself, and discover that maybe what was said is true, you can take the opportunity to work to improve yourself in that area.

If there are things you’d like to achieve, and believe are possible, set yourself a goal, and work your way towards it. If your goal seems too big, break it into smaller pieces, and aim to get through each part until you finally complete it.

Surround yourself with good people, friends who you share a mutual trust with, this will boost your self esteem. Try to stay active and enjoy yourself. Staying healthy will enable you to feel better about yourself and your self-image.

Try not to feel self-conscious about yourself. If you are self-conscious in a social situation focus on the following: Just because you lack confidence doesn’t mean others can tell.

Try not to constantly say things like "I’m no good at anything" this will not help your self esteem, or confidence. Self-esteem is not just about thinking positively about yourself all the time, it is about being realistic, and about not thinking badly about yourself for no reason.

Try not to be afraid of failure. Failure is part of life. It is how you deal with it that sets you apart. Everyone gets knocked down at some time, so the real question is, will you get back up? Make a pact with yourself to gain from the experience every time you attempt something, and don’t succeed.

You will be surprised at how much stronger you will feel when you realize that you did actually learn something from your disappointment.

When you work to raise your self-esteem don’t expect changes all at once. Beating low self-esteem is a wonderful thing. A good level of self-esteem is essential for you to function successfully in our professional and personal lives.

Remember, that feeling healthy and good about yourself is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. Persevere with trying to raise your self-esteem, and don’t expect massive changes all at once. Beating low self-esteem is a wonderful thing, and it is easier than you think.

Think good thoughts about yourself whenever you can. Know that you are as good as the next person.