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How important is self-esteem?

By: Rob McDonald

Answer: assuming that you have water to drink, food to eat and a place to live, it is the single most important factor determining your happiness. Possess it and your chances of being happy in love, having good friends, a satisfying occupation and a long and happy life increase. Don’t have it and the opposite is much more likely.

What is self-esteem? It is simply the degree to which you like yourself.

When you like yourself you are more likely to attract people to you, more likely to choose the right partner and rewarding friendships, more likely to use your strengths and talents, more likely to chase your ambitions and more likely to take care of yourself. You are likely to have low anxiety levels and therefore are more likely to find the moment by moment experience of living life rich and rewarding.

Self-esteem is priceless.

Unfortunately there is an epidemic of low self-esteem in our society. People are constantly encouraged to feel “not good enough” by the highly-developed, commercial, consumerist society that we live in: it is key to keeping the wheels moving at full pelt. Because when we don’t like ourselves enough we are driven to consume in order to fill our inner void. This need to consume is insatiable because consumption cannot ultimately fill the core need – to like who we are. Feeling inadequate about ourselves is exactly where a successful consumerist/capitalist society needs us to be.

So how do you learn to like yourself more?

Regular(ideally daily) physical exercise using both aerobic and anaerobic exercises(in my experience the most guaranteed to get results – fast).
Explore your creativity focusing on being as playful and childlike as you can.
Actively help others in greater need than yourself.
Join a group which is involved in something you love or could grow to love and become an accepted member of that group.
Be actively loving to your partner, friends and family – show an act of generosity, love or kindness to someone each day. Extend this to neighbours or colleagues if it feels right(remember that we tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their actions – this could be your moment to reverse that).
Have high ethics and demonstrate moral courage in your daily life - know what you will stand for and what you won’t. But don’t beat yourself up when you sometimes fall short or you will be defeating the object.
Kick the drugs habit – caffeine, tobacco and consider kicking alcohol too(it is easier than you might imagine).
Make an effort to spend regular time with friends who you love. Don't wait for them to call you, be the organiser. And don't expect perfection from friendship or you will end up friendless.
Turn off the TV programmes and adverts, throw away the magazines that encourage you to feel “not good enough”(hard in the sort-term, beautifully beneficial in the long-term).
Join a laughter group.
Do what you love.
Do what you are good at.
Do what you care about.

There is great potential in the above list. However it is absolutely meaningless unless you make the decision to take action. All of us can benefit from taking time out to cultivate self-esteem. I heartily encourage you to take action today.

[Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com]

Discusses why self-esteem is important and what you can do to improve it.

http://www.emotional-advantage.com

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