Overcoming Low Self-Esteem
“High self-esteem isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity for anyone who has important goals to achieve.” – Jack Canfield
Self examination.
If you had been brought up with critical parents and were surrounded in a negative environment, it is likely that you have developed low self-esteem. You may have eventually built up a habitual pattern of self disapproval, fault finding and self condemnation.
You do not have to go back in time to examine yourself. You can start right here and right now. Explore your present thoughts, emotions and responses. Look at your behavior, your attitudes and your good or bad habits.
You must let go of your painful past that you have emotionalized and, until today, looks, sounds and feels so real in your mind. Question these beliefs and thoughts and challenge your answers. Start looking at another point of view, somewhere you have not looked before. And at things you have not noticed, with new eyes and a curious mind.
Change your thinking pattern.
Interrupt your negative habitual patterns of thoughts. Take a different approach. Write down your past achievements and successes instead of your frustrations, losses, and failed attempts. This will help your subconscious to see and internalize a new set of beliefs.
You can change your attitude and mental programming. Interrupt, stop and challenge the present disempowering thoughts and images that are going on in your mind. Replace them with inspiring pictures and positive words.
Take deliberate and conscious effort to monitor your self talks.
Have you been listening to yourself lately? Really listening to that chatter? These voices are one of the main causes for your low self esteem and lack of self belief.
Sometime, somewhere, someone or even you have said that you were not good enough. You believed these words. From then on you keep saying them over and over again inside, without your conscious awareness. If you don’t snap at those voices, you will keep on believing in your “I can’t” and “I’m not good enough” mentality.
What you say to yourself affects your emotions. Your emotions affect your actions. Get rid of those negative self criticisms and replace them with positive affirmations. Your own voice is more powerful that those outside yourself.
Make a firm decision.
Have you thought about how you are going to live your future if you allow yourself to believe that you do not deserve something better?
You have a choice “To be or not to be”. You can choose to become a person with a healthy and high self-esteem. You can decide to succeed and become more and a better person. Or you can choose to wither and atrophy until it is time for you to go.
You can decide to influence or be influenced. You do not have to depend on other people’s opinion. You can take advice but you make your own decisions. With a firm decision to build your self-esteem and take action, you will improve and regain your pride and dignity.
Remind yourself that when you change in how you see and regard yourself, you will begin to like yourself. By the law of attraction, people will like you. Your relationships will improve. When you feel better about yourself, you will enhance your self image. Your confidence will heighten.
With a healthy self-esteem your motivation to act upon your goals becomes easier because you believe in you. Your life will turn around for the better. Start today to make that change. Write down your goals. Plan your strategies. Take constructive action steps. Start believing in yourself.
Related Self Esteem Articles.
What is self efficacy?Self-efficacy is defined as having a core belief or conviction about one’s abilities, efficiency and effectiveness. Self efficacious people have the initiative, a high level of confidence, considerable amount of self-esteem, think analytically, and are action oriented and persistent.
Why is personal responsibility and accountability important.
Personal responsibility is an obligation to oneself. It is your individual duty to ensure your good character and behavior irrespective of how you were brought up and what kind of conditioning you have received.
Controlling and dealing with your egoEgo is an inflated pride that belongs to a pompous and conceited person. You can sense an air of arrogance in his presence. He misunderstands or is plain ignorant of the real meaning of self worth.
What are your personal valuesPersonal values are anything you hold as important, dear and worthy. Your values are the things that you think are morally right and commit yourself to regardless of the outcome.
The solutions to a negative body imageYour body image is the picture of yourself that you have created in your mind and believed to be true. The mirror and other people’s opinions won’t make you change your impression about your physical appearance.
Developing self concept.Everyone was born without any self concept or identity except that we were either a boy or a girl. How would you explain the reason why later in life, some people identify themselves as introverts, shy or whatever labels they carry with them?
The importance of physical appearance.The importance of physical appearance shouldn’t be refuted. It has a big influence on how people react to you especially if you want to give a good first impression. People have lower opinions toward you if you portray yourself as someone who puts little attention to how you look.
How to get rid of inferiority complex.People who have inferiority complex keep seeing and thinking that other people are better than them in every way. They make comparisons. They think that they are not attractive, tall, smart, etc. compared to others.
How to overcome the constant need for approval.When you were a child, it was expected that you ask for approval and consent before you do something. And you needed validation to confirm whether your behavior and actions were acceptable.
Self Injury.Self injury, self harm or self mutilation is an act that you must stop. Yes, it isn’t easy.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 5:52 am
Excellent write up. Very useful info. Effective steps to overcome self esteem difficulties.
July 4th, 2010 at 2:12 am
WOW! A whole course on self-esteem all fitted onto one page. Great advice and definitely worth printing out and keeping.