Sure-Fire Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem

By Kaled Asmri

Simply put, self-esteem means placing a value on oneself, on one's performance. We're constantly estimating our self-worth-usually based on whatever happened five minutes ago. Strange how if someone looks at us funny, our self-esteem can suddenly plummet. Self-esteem is less stable than any stock market - it vacillates wildly, nothing but peaks and valleys, with no plateaus, no slow but steady ascents.

That is, unless you learn how to promote healthy self-esteem. Self-esteem does have a bit of a snowballing effect; if we learn to begin thinking positively of ourselves, and placing a high value on our abilities, that positive energy will feed on itself, and multiply. It simply has to be promoted properly.

We all have a voice inside ourselves that is constantly evaluating our actions and thoughts, and gauging our self-worth. Even the Ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, spoke of his "little demon," the voice that guided him from within, separating truth from untruth.

Unfortunately, for many of us, our inner voice is likely to exaggerate, in both directions. Sometimes it builds us up to dangerous proportions; at other times, it kicks us while we're down, piling insults upon our heads.

Exaggerations of this sort are hardly productive. If we have an inflated sense of self-esteem, we may seriously miscalculate our abilities, and bite off more than we can chew-not to mention offending people around us with our overblown ego. Still worse, perhaps, is the feeling that we are completely worthless. Low self-esteem like this can reduce us to complete inactivity, since we feel as if we are incapable of anything.

At this point, a vicious circle can be set in motion; we do nothing because we think we can't do anything, and soon we think we can't do anything, because we are doing nothing. It can be hard to snap out of this sort of cycle of low self-esteem.

How can we foster a healthy, level-headed sense of self-esteem? We all know people who have it; many of them maintain it, almost naturally, from early childhood. Throughout life, they have the feeling, without seeming cocky, that they're capable of doing wonderful things.

How can we achieve this sort of feeling, if we weren't born with it?

The good news is that good self-esteem can become a habit, if we show some determination in establishing it. If we're used to thinking poorly of ourselves, it can be difficult to gain this sort of momentum. Here are a just a few pointers on how to build self-esteem:

1. Be constructive. After victories or setbacks, offer constructive criticism or congratulations. Keep an even keel. Whatever you do, don't beat your self up.

2. Learn from your errors, but don't become fixated on them. Draw the right lessons from your setbacks, then move on.

3. Take some pride in your achievements. We all have accomplishments to be proud of, and talents to make use of. Never lose sight of what makes you unique.

4. Everything in moderation. That includes your goals. Dream big, certainly-but realize those dreams in manageable steps. This way, you'll be setting yourself up for success, not for frustration.

5. Encounter the unknown. Don't get complacent. Get out there and do something you've never done before. You'll discover talents you didn't know you had-and that sort of self-discovery can't help but increase your self-esteem.

Thank you for reading this article. I am Kaled Asmri, the founder of SuccessElixir.net. Visit us now and enjoy the best success secrets and self improvement ideas...

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How's Your Self-Esteem, Baby Boomer?

By Amy Sherman

What do you know about your self-esteem? In general, self-esteem is the mental image you hold about who you are. As you age, your self-esteem will naturally improve, since you don't have to deal with the silly adolescent pressures of your youth. In fact, most people think of adults as being confident, self-assured and capable. But as you know, you have moments of insecurity and doubt that leave you feeling inept and uncertain. One thing is definite. Changes in health, life-style, family roles, activities and finances may adversely affect your self-concept and self-esteem.

Here are some tips to help boost your self-image and put you back on the road to self-confidence and self-belief.

1. Remain in control of your health. Eat a nutritious diet designed to maintain your good health. For instance, if you have high blood pressure, be sure to adhere to a low-sodium dietary protocol because it will assure your feeling good and keeping your heart healthy.

2. Manage your time effectively. Stay mentally active in life-long learning classes. Include daily physical exercise programs, volunteer, have family outings, all with the intent of making your day full and pleasing.

3. Maintain a strong social life, doing things with others who share your same interests. Being involved in church or civic groups, political organizations, adventure and sporting events, etc keep you involved and engaged in activities with other interesting people.

4. Remind yourself of who you are and what you have accomplished over your lifetime. Reassess your contributions to others and to the broader community and continue to give what you can, when you can.

5. With your children older or out of the house, you may feel less important or valued. Examine new options for making your life exciting and even better. There may be new methods you can learn for improving old skills. For instance, many midlife adults go back to hobbies they put aside years ago, only to learn a better or more efficient technique.

A good self-esteem will keep you happier, healthier and feeling younger. What do you know about your self-esteem? It never has to go down or be diminished because of the natural changes that occur in your life. You can maintain a strong self-image when you maintain your personal sense of control and take charge of your life's plan.

Amy Sherman, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor in private practice. Amy is the author of the ebook, "Distress-Free Aging: A Boomer's Guide to Creating a Fulfilled and Purposeful Life." She specializes in issues specific to the 40+ generation and is available for telephone coaching, face-to-face therapy, teleseminars, radio and TV interviews. For more information, go to http://www.bummedoutboomer.com sign up for her free newsletter and receive a Special Report on Overcoming Adversity. She can be reached by email at amy@bummedoutboomer.com or by phone at 561) 281-2975.

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