Growing up is the most crucial times of our lives. There are so many different ups and downs, especially during those awkward adolescent years–a time when our bodies and minds go through so many changes. The staple of our lives, self-esteem, plays a vital role in our lives. Society also shapes our self-esteem.
The issue of self-esteem usually shapes our childhood, which will lead on into our adult lives. What is self-esteem? Basically, it is how we perceive ourselves and what do we think of self-worth and values.
There is no such thing as “in-between” self-esteem. It is either a positive or a negative self-esteem. This may seem like common sense, but unfortunately, there are so many of us in the world that cannot distinguish between the two.
Having a positive self-esteem is very essential. It lets us have positive thoughts about ourselves and whatever we decide to do. It also gives us the opportunity to have respect for ourselves, although mistakes will be made occasionally. If we have respect for ourselves, then other people will be more likely have a high regard for us.
In addition to having respect for ourselves, a positive self-esteem plays a significant role in making good life choices, for the most part, which involves the mind and body. With this type of self-esteem, we are aware that we have the intelligence to make our own decisions. As a person that had so many negative experiences and influences that took place during some of my life, having a positive self-esteem keeps me grounded. It lets me be the person that I am meant to be.
Unfortunately, there are so many of us that suffer from having a negative self-esteem, which does have a negative impact on your life, such as not feeling worthy. With a negative self-esteem, we do not have a positive perspective on ourselves. Instead of building up our self-esteem, we have the tendency to beat up ourselves over insignificant mistakes or even criticizing ourselves in a negative light.
I hear so many people that have a negative perspective on themselves. For example, there was this lady that I know who thought she was too fat. In fact, she was the complete opposite of being overweight. She had a very petite body. One day, she asked me did she look fat. I told her that she was not fat and that she was fine the way she was. I guess she needed my validation.
In the mass media, there are so many images that are flashed in our faces constantly, as in fashion ads and television. They know that we are very influenced by the images of models and celebrities that are seen on a daily basis, especially teen girls and young women. We want to emulate them. Unfortunately, many celebrities represent a portion of the real world. In fact, many of them look very unrealistic, in terms of image. As a result, we begin to develop a negative self-esteem. The media tells us that we should look a certain way in society, which is unfair because we all have our distinctive look.
But there are many ways that we can reverse our negative self-esteem. We can focus on the activities that we enjoy doing–in my case, I enjoy writing and cooking (whenever I have time to cook). In other words, we should give ourselves positive compliments on a daily basis. This is also very pivotal in building up a positive self-esteem: be surrounded by positive people. With these suggestions, we will be on the road to recovery from negative thoughts.
What type of an impact has self-esteem have (or had) on your daily life? Share your thoughts on this subject in the comments section.
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“Change yourself and fortune will change with you.” ~Portuguese proverb
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