10 Ways to Reclaim Your Self-Esteem

The way you feel about yourself impacts how and why you do everything in life. If you feel good about who you are, then what you do will be an outside reflection of your innermost thoughts and feelings. Contrary to popular belief, self-esteem is not something anyone or any accomplishment can give you. Just because people like you or you receive an award, does not mean that you will love and take care of yourself. Positive self-esteem comes from within and does not change because the scenery or circumstances change. To have esteem for something or someone is to regard highly or favorably. High self-esteem is relatively stable even when the forecast looks foreboding.

Your self-esteem is like a star at night that shines brightest when it is the darkest. It is your inner light that burns brightly and freely no matter what is happening around you. A zen saying reminds us: "What was your original face before you were born?" Self-esteem is perfectly intact when we are born, in fact, it is inherent to us; however, it often diminishes over the course of our childhood. We lose a little of it whenever we fail, make mistakes, misbehave, feel guilty, refuse to forgive, neglect ourselves, and/or do things we are ashamed of. As an adult, we sometimes feel as if our "self" is in pieces--- that we are somehow not whole and complete.

This is not true. We are whole and complete even with our missing pieces and broken parts. We just need to decide to gather up ourselves up and become whole again. I am willing to bet that when you look back over your life, the first thing that comes to mind are the regrets, the sad times in your past. Do you see the pieces of yourself lying along the path of your life? The ones where you didn't feel good enough, or where you were criticized or blamed by someone else? But have you ever stopped to look at the memories of when you won the prize, felt really great, on top of the world----those moments that prove what a wonderfully amazing human being you are? Try it right now, write down 10 things you are most proud of.

It is your birthright to love and honor yourself. The good news is that you can reclaim that which is yours.

What follows are 10 Ways to Reclaim Your Self-Esteem:

1. Define life success

One of the most empowering things you can do for yourself is to define your criteria for life success. This requires reflecting on what the key elements are and the experiences you wish to have.

2. Choose to be happy

Happiness is a state of mind. The Dalai Lama says that the very purpose of life is to seek happiness. He believes that if you train the mind to be happy, you will be. Likewise, you can train yourself for higher self-esteem.

3. Set challenging goals

How much you like yourself is often reflected in the level of goals you will set for yourself. Generally, people who like themselves and feel valuable, set higher and more challenging life goals.

4. Honor your core values

When you live by a clear set of values, it is easier to align your life with what is most important to you. When you honor your core values, (those things you would fight for), you honor your true self.

5. Enhance your energy

People with high self-esteem seem to have a reservoire of energy, and seldom get sick or let life's set backs keep them down. Their energy and enthusiasm for life encourages them to take care of their body, mind, and spirit.

6. Maintain a positive attitude

Attitude determines your altitude. The more positive your thinking, the more positive your feelings, the more positive the outcome. There is nothing more powerful and creative than your thoughts, so you may as well make them positive and uplifting.

7. Be passionate

Passion takes hold of you and feels like "fire in the belly." It is a source of power that enables you to get fired about life and make a difference. The more passion and zest you feel, the more alive and brightly lit you are.

8. Live by vision and work with purpose

When you know your life vision and purpose, life has more meaning and direction. Vision and purpose provide a sense that you matter, that you have a part to play, and that you truly belong here.

9. Reward success

Set yourself up for success by breaking big goals into daily action steps and take time to acknowledge and celebrate the small successes. This will feed your need for recognition and provides the extra push to keep you moving forward.

10. Make smart life decisions

When you care about yourself, you make smarter decisions. You take care to choose the right mate, occupation, and lifestyle that support you.

Self-esteem is an inner state that can be nurtured and cultivated. The National Association for Self-Esteem (NASE) defines self-esteem as the experience of being capable of meeting life's challenges and being worthy of happiness. That definition underlines two key things: going after goals and choosing happiness. Another definition is the level that you respect and value yourself as a loveable, worthwhile human being.

Your self-esteem contributes to your vitality, energy level, persistence, and personal magnetism. It is not to be confused with "self-image," which is the comparison of those around you. Self-image is about what is on the outside and causes you to judge yourself and others. It changes whenever the wind blows. This fosters competition and fragmentation.

Self-esteem is about what is on the inside, a belief in yourself and your abilities. Positive esteem focuses on acceptance of self and others. It remains constant despite the storm. This fosters cooperation and wholeness.

It is common to have high self-esteem in one area of life, like career, but not in others. The highest form of self-esteem is when you can accept all of yourself---- strengths, weaknesses, best/worst parts, and overall, still feel good about who you are and what you do. Someone with a strong sense of worth will believe in herself, take more risks, say and do nice things for self and others, can let things go, not take everything so personal, forget the bad and focus on the good in life.

How do you feel about yourself right now?

10: perfectly happy with my whole self

to 5: moderately happy with my whole self

to 1: not at all happy with my whole self

If you are less than a 10, commit to using one of these tips today and feel your esteem rise, create a stronger sense of self, and reclaim your inner power. You deserve to feel great!

About The Author

Michelle L. Casto is a Whole Life Coach, Speaker, and Author of the Get Smart! LearningBook Series. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world. Visit virtually: www.brightlightcoach.com or www.getsmartseries.com. Call for a Complimentary Coaching session (361) 816-0685.

coach@brightlightcoach.com

---

Motivation By Facing Facts

"Things is either done, or they ain't done." Marlon SandersSome... Read More

Selective Perspective

Picture this: A mother and daughter are looking at the... Read More

Does Your Battery Need Recharging?

A technical support person in a pager company tells the... Read More

March Madness - Give Me The Ball!

March madness is great to watch not because I have... Read More

Tips To Get Motivated and Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is a complicated behavior that affects all people to... Read More

Discover How to Stay Motivated and Be Successful

If you surveyed 50 people asking each their definition of... Read More

What Is The Value In Wanting To Accomplish Something?

When I listen to people tell me about some of... Read More

The Dawn On The Nile Valley Has Secrets To Tell! (3)

Me and Mao Tse-Tung!My first political experience was with Mao... Read More

Starting Over

I worked hard for the past 17 years. I felt... Read More

Being Determined - What Good Will That Do?

'Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability... Read More

Ignite The Fire In Your Belly ? How To Move From Being A Procrastinator To An Activator!

Are you sick and tired of not getting ahead and... Read More

4 Simple Ways To Get Over Your Need For Acceptance... And Get On With Your Life

Imagine what your life would be like if you could... Read More

When Life Gives You Waves, Learn to S.U.R.F.

Would you like to learn a skill set and technique... Read More

Nothing To Lose

I stormed out of the office and headed for the... Read More

Procrastination: Make It Work FOR You!

Man, I love to procrastinate! And I'm pretty darn good... Read More

Forgotten Your New Years Resolutions Already? How To Get Back On Track

How quickly we forget. We are only a few weeks... Read More

Develop Guts to Achieve Glory

It is just amazing the amount of people who don't... Read More

Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life

When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't... Read More

7 Great Life Lessons From Tsunami Survivor

As I am writing this article, the world is shaken... Read More

4 Barriers to Overcome For Growth

As we begin a new year, it's natural to reflect... Read More

The Lies We Live By

How many times have you lied to get your way?Many... Read More

Motivation: The Cure for Complacency

Q. I've always tried to work hard enough to provide... Read More

Live Life with Gusto

Life is a gift; live it with gusto everyday. Don't... Read More

Motivation: If Today Were the Last of All Days

"If today were the last of all days........" - Marilyn... Read More

Rules To Live Life By

How often have we heard ourselves complaining about how unlucky... Read More

Motivation By Daily Applause

One of our most powerful psychological needs is the craving... Read More

Storytelling - The Great Motivator of People

In a data-driven world, facts and figures are the order... Read More

Success Through The Power Of Daily Action

Daily actions to achieve your goals means daily progress and... Read More

Death by Overwork: Motivationally Speaking Its a Zero

The Japanese have a word for death by overwork: Karoshi.... Read More

Are You in Touch With Your Inner M?

"M" is for Motivation.What motivates you to do a good... Read More

How to Tune In Your Brain and Feel Motivated in Minutes

Want to know how to run your brain and be... Read More

Productivity Engineering

Review: Productivity Engineering- A hypnosis program to help you improve... Read More

Breaking Through Resistance

Why is it that every time you start something new,... Read More