self esteem : Healthy Self-Esteem in Thirty Days

Healthy Self-Esteem is your best weapon on the journey of life. Self-Esteem is the cornerstone of your emotional well-being and success in life. Self-Esteem stems from the knowledge that you are a valuable person. It is the understanding that there is no one who is exactly like you. No one talks like you; No one walks like you; No one has the exact color eyes or hair as you. Even identical twins have subtle differences in personality and characteristics.

Healthy Self-Esteem is realizing that no other person has your personality or your abilities, and it is being comfortable with your uniqueness that sets you apart. Healthy Self-Esteem is that calm sense of self-respect and integrity that deep down in your soul you possess self-worth and confidence in your ability and uniqueness.

Healthy Self-Esteem fosters your inner strength to walk your own path. You avoid succumbing to peer pressure. You have the confidence to say, “NO” to requests or ideas which are demeaning to your integrity or will sabotage your goals.

Healthy Self-Esteem allows you to become a leader, instead of a follower. You know what is best for you. With Healthy Self-Esteem you are able to make decisions, regardless of what others say or do. These are traits that we all want for ourselves and our children.

You can build Healthy Self-Esteem one minute at a time. Every waking minute:

• See yourself as having value.

• See yourself as having the key to what is needed in this world.

• Treat yourself with the highest respect. No one will treat you with more respect than you treat yourself.

• Employ self-discipline to follow through with any endeavor.

• Give yourself positive support by praising yourself for doing a good job, for doing what you do, and for doing things the best you can. “You can do it.” “You are good at everything you do.” “You did a good job.”

• Focus on the positive—avoid focusing on the negative.

• Focus on the glass is half full—avoid focusing on the glass is half empty.

• Give yourself praise and pats on the back for your achievements—no matter how small.

• Focus on the process of goal achievement, avoid bemoaning everything you need to do—your goals come to fruition more quickly.

• Be persistent in everything you do—persistence is the only path to goal achievement.

• Praise others for their accomplishments—when you compliment others you build your own self-esteem, because it’s impossible to sincerely praise others without feeling better about yourself.

• Give as much as you want to receive—What goes around; Comes around.

• Take pride in, who you are.

• Take pride in, what you do.

“Life is not easy for any of us. But, what of that? We must have perseverance and above all, self-esteem in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” – Marie Curie

In Thirty days you will notice subtle, but powerful differences in the out-come of your endeavors and you will notice you are feeling empowered, confident and focused on goals and achievements.

by Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD,