What do you think of yourself as a person? How do you think other people see you? The first question is considerably more important than the second; however the second may provide an invaluable insight into the first.

Your self esteem is how you see yourself, what you think of yourself and what value you assign to yourself as a human being. Self esteem is a part of your character and personality. It is a trait unique to you which encompasses your inner-most feelings of confidence, integrity, love, respect, pride and happiness.

You will easily be able to identify a person with high self esteem. Their very existence will exude all the characteristics above, from their physical appearance right down to the manner in which they speak. They tend to be popular, motivated, ambitious and do not accept defeat easily. Their purpose in life has meaning and they vigorously pursue what they want until they achieve it.

In contract, a person with low self esteem thinks they are worthless. They believe that nothing they do merits recognition, praise, respect or reward. Such a person will contently devalue themselves in the presence of others because they simply do not believe they are worthy. They tend to shy away from social inclusion and take the view that everybody else’s opinions matter more than their own. They feel shameful and embarrassed at the very thought that they could ever be admirable in any way.

Having low self esteem is potentially soul destroying and can negatively influence your personality. It may not even be your fault and may have been the product of an unhappy childhood, poverty, lack of attention, health problems, bullying or having no one to look up to for support. But it is by no means a terminal condition and with the right steps, can be improved. Let’s look at ways you can build your self esteem:

Stop putting yourself down

All this negative self talk is doing nothing to take you closer to your goals and whatever you want to achieve in life. Think of yourself as a great person who deserves the very best in life. Choose to be positive not negative.

Stop labelling yourself a loser

If you try something which doesn’t go your way, you’re NOT a failure. You might just need to be better prepared for next time. And make sure there is a next time. Nobody achieves goals by giving up at the first attempt.

Celebrate your achievements

No matter how big or small, if you get something done, celebrate! Tell people about it. Achieving small steps is the key to success. There is nothing wrong in blowing your own trumpet. This will also put you in a positive frame of mind.

Use your strengths

Everybody has strengths. Regardless of what you do or what kind of person you are, you have strengths. Focus on what you’re good at doing and what you like doing the most. Nobody is good at everything, but everybody is good at something.

Love yourself

When you look in the mirror you probably start thinking negative thoughts straight away. To build your self esteem you first need to stop hating yourself and start loving yourself. Only once your mind is at ease will it start to accept the notion of improvement.

Let go of the past

The past may have had a major impact on your life so far, but how long are you going to let it affect your life? If you choose to move on, you can at least start creating a happier future for yourself but it has to start now. You don’t have to forget the past completely, just respect yourself for coping with it and understand that you need to move on.

Dress better

Boosting your self esteem has to start on the inside, but there’s no reason why you can’t start to feel good by wearing nice clothes and making yourself look good. Take pride in your appearance and let others see how good you look. You’re worth it!

Speak your mind

If you have an opinion, voice it. Who cares what other people think? You’re quite happy to listen to other people most of time so why not speak up yourself? There is absolutely nothing to stop you from divulging what’s on your mind.

Build confidence

Practice being assertive. Write down a list of positive affirmations which will increase your confidence. Say them out loud every morning and at night before you sleep. Remove the word can’t from your vocabulary. Listen to motivating music and re-programme your mind to accept a higher level of confidence as the new norm.

Take action

Build your self esteem by doing as many things as you can. Just go for it. Don’t even think about the end result. People with low self esteem usually think long and hard before doing something and usually talk themselves out of it. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know. The more you do things, the better you will feel.

Self esteem is a powerful trait that can make you or break you. It’s a trait YOU control. Make a choice. Refuse to accept anything less than greatness for yourself. Become stronger, think of yourself as a proud, affirmative, confident person with unlimited potential to achieve whatever you set your mind to.

Vishal C Patel is from the East Midlands in the UK – and is an experienced Internet Marketer specializing in Self Improvement. His passion lies in helping people to improve their lives by becoming more successful and achieving their dreams. Think Your Way To Better Health, Wealth And Financial Freedom. Find Out How AND Get A FREE Copy Of My NEW eBook @ http://www.LiftYourMind.com © Vishal C Patel. All rights reserved.
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