Fr. T.O. Sebastian
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]elf-esteem is the appreciation you’ have of yourself. You can have a high self-esteem or a low self-esteem depending on the self-worth you have. Your self-worth again depends on various factors. Your self-worth increases if you accept yourself as you are, if you are satisfied with the talents and skills you have and if you are happy and contented with what you are. If you have self-worth, you will not envy what others have but find happiness and satisfaction in what you have. Your talents and achievements will boost your self-worth. This in turn will increase your self-esteem...If you have self worth you will accept yourself and you will love yourself. You will appreciate our mental abilities and your physical qualities such as your colour height and stature. Once you have accepted yourself as you are, you will take pride in yourself and utilize your talents to achieve your targets. Every success you experience will boost your self-worth. You will have greater satisfaction with yourself and therefore you will not envy others for what they have.
Those who have no self-worth will not appreciate themselves or their mental or physical
qualities. They will not take any initiative. If they are invited to take part in any competition or task they begin to plead their inability and show their unwillingness to join in the programme. A person who suffers from low self-esteem can neither be happy nor be satisfied with his own self. Low self-esteem for a prolonged period may cause emotional mental and even physical problems. It can lead to anxiety, stress and depression. The best way to equip a child for its survival is to boost his self-esteem. If you have boosted up his self-esteem. He will certainly work out his own way to success and glory and with it comes satisfaction and contentment. The following tips will help you to boost your self-esteem. Have a positive approach to life and its problems. Think of your past success and achievements.
Bring changes to your life slowly and steadily without any sudden jolts and shakes, so that no one around you may feel upset or disturbed. You need not take up too many things at a time. Whatever you take up must be achievable and your goals must be time-bound. Make a good assessment of yourself with regard to your strengths and weaknesses. Do not dwell on your negatives. Have your focus set on success. Your whole being. should be bathed in a positive feeling and atmosphere. Develop self-confidence. It is a feeling that gives you courage to take, up the challenges that throw up before you in the usual run of daily life. Low self-esteem cannot co-exist with happiness.
When you are happy and satisfied, you take up achievable targets and make small wins in life and you feel elated. You are able to accept equally praise and blame. Once you have tasted success, you will not want to remain in the category of the low self-esteem. You may not do great things. You build up your self-confidence by venturing into at first in small battles and skirmishes. Once you have won the little battles, it is easy to win the war. The biggest gift the parents and teachers can offer to their children is by assisting them to build their self-esteem. The greatest harm you can do to a child is to destroy his self”worth and with it his self esteem.
