Being an educator I deal with issues having to do with self-esteem
daily. A great number of individuals have difficulty understanding
how their life is affected, by the way they feel about who they think
they are. They believe that their self-esteem is a byproduct of how
others perceive and treat them and the circumstances they encounter in
their day to day life. If someone gave them a compliment, they are on
top of the world for a fleeting moment. If later someone else made a
comment less than flattering about them or said something to them that
they perceived as a criticism, their world came crashing down, leaving
them feeling down, angry and often devastated.
Confidence Versus Self-esteem
Some people tend to assume that if you have great confidence in your
ability to do something that you also must have a good self esteem.
This is not so.
Confidence and self-esteem are different things. You can be a talented
an accomplished artist and suffer from low self-esteem. Many world
famous people demonstrate great confidence when they are on our
favorite TV programs or in films, but in reality, off camera many find
it very hard to value themselves. Insecurity runs rampant among
singers, actors, comedians, and athletes. Think of the late Elvis
Presley and Michael Jackson. Although they were adulated and
envied by their friends and fans, they were tremendously insecure
within.
How is Self-Esteem Developed?
We begin to develop our self-esteem very early in our life by the
meaning, we give to the conditions, incidents and emotions that
resulted from our experiences. So our identity is shaped and created
by our thinking, and emotions associated with that thinking and the
beliefs we have about ourselves based on what has happened to us
growing up.
What Determine a Good Self-Esteem?
A good dose of self-esteem is determined by our capability to
recognize our strengths and shortcomings and still accept ourselves as
being worthy, deserving and valuable individuals without restrictions
or second thoughts. A good self-esteem is also based on our aptness to
assess and in our aptness to manage the primary demands of everyday
life and belief in our right to be accomplished and contented. The
beliefs in our worthiness and our right to state our needs and wants
and enjoys the result of our achievements are also recognized as
factors that determine a good self-esteem.
The importance of self-esteem, particularly a good one
can’t be under estimated because our self-esteem affects every single
area of our life and is a key factor in determining the quality of our life.
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Having a good self-esteem doesn't only make you a better person, but the people around feel a whole lot better. I believe, having a good self-esteem will make you have a happier life. Instead of crying almost everyday about how you look, walk, etc. Be proud of who you are!!
Well said, madame. I learned a lot from this article.