Building Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a personality ingredient that one has to have and, if possible, in great amounts. That is not to say that a person needs to be extremely sure of oneself to the point of arrogance; they just need enough to be able to withstand the pressures of life and lead a contented existence. If self-esteem can be measured, it won’t make much of a difference.
Key points
This is because there is really no specific amount of self-esteem that one can be prescribed with. Different people require different levels of self-esteem, just as different dynamics or aspects of one’s life necessitate different levels of self-esteem. There is really no specific amount. In fact, different situations also demand different amounts of self-esteem.
Whatever the amounts that you need, there is no argument that one needs self-esteem. It is basically developed during the growing-up years in the way we are treated by our parents and the people around us. Parental treatment and social group interaction play major roles in the development of self-esteem. But that is not to say that self-esteem will be a permanent fixture come adulthood. It can still be developed and enhanced, no matter what the age is.
Below are some tips on how to develop self-esteem and techniques that can work across all ages. Read on, and you might learn a thing or two that you can apply in your own life or with other people.
1. Self-affirmation
There is a difference between self-love and narcissism. Although it is not recommended to become obsessed with one’s positive qualities, it is not wrong to acknowledge our achievements and talents once in a while. Self-affirmation is a great way to increase our self-esteem levels. Telling yourself that you are great in front of the mirror every morning may seem like too much, but it actually works to increase one’s self-confidence.
Of course, you don’t have to take self-affirmation to the extreme if you don’t want to. Sometimes just acknowledging the little achievements that you have made at the end of the day is enough to raise your self-esteem.
2. Doing the things that you love
There is no aphrodisiac that would make you love yourself more than doing the things that you love. When you love what you are doing, you become happier and more enthusiastic. You will also become more interested in developing your skills, thereby improving yourself and allowing you to trust yourself more. Besides, if you are happy with what you are doing, you are more confident in your decisions and your actions.
3. Voicing out
There is something quite liberating about voicing your own opinions and speaking your mind. Although there are some people who would try to put you down and argue with what you believe in, there are still people who will respect you for your thoughts. Acknowledging and becoming comfortable with your thoughts will gradually allow you to trust yourself, increasing your self-esteem.
4. Accepting that you are not perfect
There is no perfect person in the world. Often, people develop low self-esteem because they try so hard to become perfect, but one thing that they have to learn is that they cannot become perfect because there is no such thing as a perfect person. All they can be is the best that they can be.
Confidence and Determination
5. Edison’s ideal
People need both Faith in God and Determination. There is the example of a great American scientist, Thomas Alva Edison. He was born into a poor family on February 11, 1847, in the state of Ohio. Although he made no progress in his studies, he became a great inventor thanks to his supreme Self-confidence, perseverance, and determination in the pursuit of his experiments. His early experiments had untoward results, which provoked his parents to punish him and ultimately to send him out of the house. For a time, he earned a living by selling sweets in trains.
Once, a guard slapped him for causing an explosion in the closet of a train. His hearing was affected thereby. A benefactor came into his life after he saved a child from being run over by a train. He got a job at a telegraph company and was free to carry on his experiments. From such beginnings, Edison became the greatest inventor of our time because of his tremendous perseverance and tireless experiments. The world owes to him the electric bulb, the gramophone, the telephone, and many other inventions. If, without any regular schooling, Edison could achieve all this, it was because of his confidence in himself, his firm determination, and his tireless energy.
