Remember the character Eeyore on Winnie the Pooh? As kids we may have watched that somber donkey with some amusement, but as adults we can go back and listen to his gloomy utterances and feel sorry for the miserable world he created for himself in. Not only did this tail pinned mammal have a bleak outlook on life in general, but a not so optimistic perception of himself as well. How often do we feel like Eeyore? Maybe we are not consistently melancholy, but perhaps many of us struggle being positive with how we think or feel about ourselves.
First it might be helpful to define self-esteem. In summary we could say it relates to how we perceive our worth and ability to succeed. If in doing a self evaluation and finding you’re a bit low on the confidence scale, just know you’re not alone! We all could do some work in this area and many struggle significantly with feelings of low self worth on a daily basis. While help from a skilled therapist may be in the best interest of some, here are a few tips to begin the process of learning to like one’s self.
- Quench the Comparisons to Others. Theodore Roosevelt said “Comparison is the thief of joy”. If you think about, it doesn’t matter how attractive, smart, witty, or likable we are, there will ALWAYS be someone who exceeds us in these categories. Rather than using other’s as a measuring stick, try measuring yourself against… YOU! By doing so you may find your goals and aspirations are much more within reach than you may realize.
- It’s Okay to Recognize your Strengths. Doing so does NOT mean you’re conceited! We all have things that we excel at and those thing are probably recognized by others. When those around you offer compliments, buy into them mentally! Chances are there is way more that makes you invaluable that you are used to recognizing.
- Be True to Yourself. Ask yourself which is more important, what others think of you of what you think of yourself? To compromise who you are may have some short term pay-off’s, but what are the long term effects? If we regularly play roles that are inauthentic, in can have seriously negative consequences on our real selves. Again, there is probably more that is awesome about you than you realize. Let it shine!
