Go Ahead . . . Impress Yourself
Self-es-teem (noun): A confidence and satisfaction in oneself, as defined by Merriam Webster.com/dictionary.
OK, fine, but what really is self-esteem? It’s our thoughts, feelings and opinions about ourselves. These can be positive or negative and can change over time.
If we’re in a negative state of thoughts, feelings and opinions about ourselves, how do we build healthier self-esteem? Dr. Laura Schlessinger, an American talk-radio host and author, has a simple explanation: “We impress ourselves by doing things that we think we can’t do, don’t want to do, or that we’re afraid to do.”
This is much different than lavishing praise and loving words on ourselves, our children or others to bolster self-worth. According to Dr. Laura, we actually have to do something that impresses ourselves to gain the benefit of a healthy self-image. The action of doing that which we would rather not do is how we build our self-esteem muscle.
A few of the benefits of good self-esteem are:
1) You’ll know that you can count on yourself, which brings inner stability.
2) Life will seem easier and less weighty, because you’ll handle what’s in front of you without “catastrophizing” or avoiding what’s at hand.
3) You’ll be happier, because you will have a sense of control for your life, as opposed to standing in place or blowing with the wind.
Go ahead. Impress yourself. It just might be worth the effort.
