We may not realize it, but self-esteem is a great determinant of whether or not we will be successful in life. Why? Because self-esteem, or the way we view ourselves, including our skills and talents, affects our thoughts. And these thoughts turn into actions.
Taking action is very important. Actions are the ones that move us closer to our dreams. If you have dreams and goals in life and you realize that you are not moving towards them, then maybe you are not taking any action or you are taking the wrong one. What most people are not aware of is that thoughts and actions are linked. Having positive thoughts leads to positive actions in the same way that negative thoughts can lead to inaction or negative actions.
Achieving your goals and making your dreams come true naturally takes time. And the thing that can give you the proper drive or push is high self-esteem. High self-esteem can provide you with the determination and personal power needed for you to take actions towards the achievement of your goals. Consequently, low self-esteem is one of the biggest blocks to a person’s success. Why? Because when a person has low self-esteem, it is more difficult for him or her to take the right actions to achieve their goals.
Simply put, self-esteem refers to how a person looks at oneself. If one looks at himself or herself in a positive way, then he or she has high self-esteem. On the other hand, if a person has a negative view of himself or herself, including his or her abilities, then he or she definitely has low self-esteem.
One of the things that lowers self-esteem is criticism. The worst kind of criticism is the one that comes from you. When you always criticize yourself, it can lead to feelings of self-doubt.
If there is one greatest killer of dreams known to man, it is a negative thought. Nothing can be more destructive. Do not tell yourself that “I can’t” or “that’s impossible.” Instead, believe that anything is possible and that you can achieve anything.
So how do you build self-esteem? Since thoughts are the roots of feelings and actions, you must always make sure that your thoughts are positive and beneficial. Instead of focusing on your failures and mistakes, why don’t you take notice of your achievements? This is not vanity. It is simply recognizing the things that you have done in the past and acknowledging your abilities.
Everyone has his or her own share of accomplishments in life. The best thing that you can do is get a piece of paper and list down your accomplishments for the last few years. Remember all the challenges that you were able to hurdle and the obstacles you have been able to overcome. You will be surprised to know that you have achieved many things in your life already. In moments of great doubt, you can always refer back to this list and remember your accomplishments. You can continue to add to this list as you achieve more in life.
Always remember that there is a strong connection between self-esteem and success, so do anything that you can to improve the quality of your thoughts, for they determine your future success.
