What is self-esteem?
Before we talk about its importance, we must understand what it is. Self-esteem is the esteem that a person has for him/herself. It is common to see people associating the concept with aesthetic aspects and, although this somehow involves appearance, self-esteem goes far beyond that. To love yourself is more than finding yourself beautiful, it means liking yourself completely, feeling capable, intelligent, being proud of who you are.
It is worth mentioning that self-esteem is different from self-sufficiency, from feeling superior to others, simply because it is a personal, internal issue that has nothing to do with others. In addition, having self-esteem does not mean closing your eyes to the aspects you need to develop, but recognizing them without feeling inferior because of it.
There are people who think that those who have high self-esteem close their eyes to what needs to be improved and this is not true, as the effect is quite the opposite. It is exactly the fact that an individual loves him/herself that will stimulate him/her to evolve more and more, because that is what love does, it transforms, empowers, promotes evolution.
Why is self-esteem important?
When a challenge arises in a person's life, the first factor that pushes them to overcome it is the fact that they believe they can do it. After all, if he/she thinks he/she doesn't have a chance, he/she probably won't feel motivated to take any action. This is one of the reasons why self-esteem is fundamental, it is our fuel to act.
Another factor that shows the importance of self-esteem is linked to the internal relationship, to the way you maintain a dialogue with yourself. People with high self-esteem are kinder to themselves and avoid being martyred by guilt, they prefer to use their mistakes as sources of learning to evolve and do differently instead of victimizing themselves and remaining inert.
Just as we relate to friends and family, the same is true of ourselves. The dialogue that you have mentally with your own consciousness is a type of relationship that needs to be taken care of and that must be harmonious. When you can't maintain a positive connection with yourself, it ends up influencing connections with everyone around you.
To like and be happy with who you are, with your qualities and aspects that need to be developed, is essential for a full life. This does not mean that you will not experience problems, but that you will face them confidently, which makes all the difference in the results.
Ways to work on your self-esteem and love yourself more
Now that you know what self-esteem is and how important it is, here are some ways to work on yours and love yourself more.
1 – Recognize your strengths
The first step to be taken is to recognize your qualities and value yourself. If you don't consciously do this, you will unconsciously put more emphasis on the points where you are not so good, which will damage your self-esteem. If you wish, record the qualities that you identify, this way, you will make them more and more alive in your mind, strengthening your self-confidence.
2 – Avoid comparing yourself to others
Comparison is a dangerous and unfair terrain, because it makes you compare yourself with individuals who have a totally different trajectory from yours and creates a mistaken idea of inferiority and incapacity. Therefore, be aware that each being is unique and that you should only compare yourself with yourself.
3 – Take care of yourself for yourself and not for others
Self-esteem and self-care go hand in hand, but it is important to make some points clear. The first is that self-care does not only include aesthetic measures, but also mental, emotional and spiritual ones. In addition, it is essential that you do this always thinking about your well-being and not about doing what everyone else is doing or trying to be accepted by a certain group and fit into a pattern.
4 – Set limits on relationships
Self-esteem also involves setting limits on relationships, after all, it is not because you love a person very much that you will have to submit to all their wishes. Recognize your limits and make them very clear to the people you interact with. And do it without fear, because those who truly love you will know how to respect your conditions, just as you must also respect theirs.
5 – Understand that mistakes are part of life
Last but not least, you need to understand that mistakes are part of life and that making mistakes does not cancel out all the qualities you have. Always try to do your best, but if you fail, look at the situation with your head held high, without judging or blaming yourself. Do what you can to fix what happened or at least reduce the damage, review the points you could have done differently, and move on.
We strive to maintain good relationships with everyone around us, and we often fail to take care of our inner relationship. If you identify with this, know that there is always time to change and evolve. Listen, observe, take care of yourself, so you will strengthen your self-esteem and become an increasingly better person, for you and for the world.
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