Self
Esteem: Your Own Perception
by Atchut Neelam
One of the key requirements for
a fulfilling life is self-esteem. Self-esteem is ones perception about oneself.
It’s the culmination of all beliefs one has about oneself based on the past
experiences and future potential one assigns to oneself. Self-esteem is the
result of how you see yourself. We mostly
are what we think about ourselves. Others
see and treat you the way you see and treat yourself.
The magnitude of self-esteem
determines the altitude of progress as the impact percolates into every aspect
of life: personal, professional and social. High self-esteem is a result of
focusing on ones own strengths while low self-esteem is a result of focusing on
once own weaknesses. The primary cause of low esteem is self-doubt, which
prevents an individual from leading a fulfilling life.
As self-esteem is the result of
self-belief, it can be improved by conscious and persistent effort to improve
one’s perception of oneself.
A
few simple and effective tips to
improve self-esteem and overcome self-doubt are:
Love
yourself! Love yourself the way you are and everyone will love you.
Experience the feeling of self-love for yourself every day and as many times as
possible. Don’t you deserve your love?
Invest in
yourself!
Say No!
Feel Good!
Identify your strengths. Reinforce and harness your strengths by repeating and
improving them. Each time you practice or improve, feel good about yourself.
Similarly, identify your weaknesses and visualize improving upon these
weaknesses. Repeated the visualization process time and time again!
Value
Addition! Track how you spend your time and ensure you add value in
everything you do: actions and activities. Value addition is the key to working
effectively!
Express
yourself!
Think
Positive! We tend to create images of others and ourselves in our mind.
Our minds tend to create what we think, so think positive. Create positive
images about yourself and your mind will work to make it happen. Initially it
may be a little uncomfortable but persist. It is aptly said "Fake it till
you make it!".
Self Talk.
We all talk to ourselves. Talk positive and make affirmative statements while
talking to yourself. Walk the talk!
Stretch
yourself.
Compare with
yourself
Self-Feedback
Never: Never
put others interests and work before yours. When anyone asks you for anything
never give it for free but ask for something in return. Your time, effort
and approval are valuable.
Actions
Points
·
Look at
yourself in the mirror and love your body and feel the sense of goodness. Do it
daily!
·
Make a list
of achievements to date and update the same before you rest for the day daily.
·
Smile at your
mistakes and visualize that you are doing the right things next time. Repeat the
same several times. Your mistakes reduce in number before they vanish!
·
Starting
Saying No! when you intend to say so.
·
Invest in
yourself – buying news clothes, attending training, exercise, hobbies etc.
·
Challenge
yourself by stretching some of your set self performance standards a little.
·
Add value in
everything you do.
·
Try something
new today and daily! It’s a wonderful habit.