Stepping out of Low Self-Esteem in your life

One of the key ways of overcoming the confidence crisis is to first find the root of one’s low self-esteem. Why don’t we take a look at one’s childhood? A child’s self-esteem is formed during his or her early years. Let me turn the magnifying glass on you. Were you criticized, shamed, rejected and scolded repeatedly as a child? Were you frequently reminded that you were not as good as your siblings or other children? Were you ridiculed as a child? Were you constantly yelled at or called a nuisance? If you answered yes to some of these questions, it appears that the criticism and lack of acceptance, you experienced may have contributed to the lasting feelings of inferiority you are experiencing in adulthood.

Experiences of defeat and failure is another root cause of low self-worth. We live in a Global Society that is driven by success and accomplishments. We see this in Olympic tournaments and the World Cup. If a football team has failed to score a goal or has failed to reach the finals or semi-finals, fans may commiserate with the team. Some fans may be angry with the team whereas others may be disappointed with the team. Instead of blaming your favourite team, isn’t it worth celebrating the fact that they came through several rounds in the World Cup and that they are a team recognized internationally? Isn’t that an achievement in itself? Even if your favourite international football team were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, it doesn’t negate the fact that the team players were the very best skilled and talented footballers hand-picked among millions of people in their country to play in the World Cup. So your favourite didn’t win the cup final? so what! The true success lies in the fact that they represented their country well on the international stage watched by billions around the world. We should be proud of the team players for this. Why do we need to march to the World’s tune of defeat and failure? Make up your own definition of success. You may have had a challenging year, facing numerous twists and turns. Your success is that you got through the year!! You may have been made redundant. Your success is that with restricted funds coming through, you were still able to put food on the table for your family! You didn’t get the job you wanted. The success is that out of thousands of applicants, you were one of the five shortlisted for the interview. Is not that a success in itself? You were criticized and rejected in your early childhood, your life today has proven your critics wrong. That is a success in itself! Define and personalize your success today. The fact that you are alive, breathing and reading this blog is a huge success in itself and one of the biggest blessings.