By Hilma David
Self-esteem is a term used to refer or describe an individual’s sense of self worth. In simple terms, it is the way a person looks at themselves. One’s self-esteem is influenced by many experiences in life. Positive experiences such as academic achievements, excellence in a certain activity or appraisal lead to a high self-esteem. Negative experiences such as neglect, abuse or low performance in a certain activity leads to a low self-esteem.
People with low self-esteem look down on themselves and view themselves in a negative way. They do not feel worthy or valuable. Individuals with low self-esteem do not believe they are capable of making the right decisions so they avoid making decisions at all. They look for assurance and compliments from others to feel good about themselves. Low esteemed people needs other’s opinions from picking an outfit, choosing a career path, finding friends, etc. They are ashamed of making mistakes, so little by little they give away their power and become dependent.
Individuals with a healthy self-esteem on the other hand respect themselves and others. They are not threatened by others success. A positive self-esteemed person makes his or her own decisions and takes responsibility. They are not scared or ashamed of asking for help when they do not understand a certain concept or task. They are able to acknowledge their weakness and improve. A healthy esteemed individual has confidence and faith. They are not conceited or ignorance but rather they take others until consideration when making decisions.
If you find yourself on the negative esteem side, today is your day. There are ways you can follow to turn yourself around. Firstly, acknowledge your abilities and achievements. Take a closer look at your life and point out all the things you have done that you are proud of. Acknowledge a certain talent or skill that you really appreciate. Invest more time doing things that you are good at or makes you happy. Secondly, take care of yourself physically. Dress neatly, eat right, exercise and have a straight posture. Thirdly, stop comparing yourself to others. You are a unique individual with weakness and strengths. Work on areas that you need to improve.
It is important to have a healthy self-esteem. It allows you to be in control of your life, make genuine decisions in your best interest and take responsibility . One’s self-esteem is visible in the way they physically present themselves and the way you look at yourself is the way people will look at you. So if you believe you are worthy, others will believe so too. The way you present yourself helps in making impression on a daily basis, in interviews, in presentation, even when you are asking for directions on the street. People with low self esteem are afraid to set challenges and goals because they are scared they are going to fail and others will laugh at them. Low esteemed are afraid of rejection and loneliness, hence they are prone to peer pressure, stress and depression. Peer pressure can include being forced into drugs or risky sexual activities. People with high self-esteem on the other hand are able to form honest relationships because they will choose to be around people they are comfortable with. You have a chance and a choice to work on yourself. If your self-esteem is already up to standard, help another person build theirs.