Know Yourself: Self Esteem

Self esteem heightens your sense of self worth

Dr. Nathaniel Branden, a Canadian psychotherapist and writer well known for his work in the psychology of self esteem wrote:

Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves 

superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by

measuring themselves against a comparative standard.

Their joy is being who they are,

not in being better than someone else. 

Another of Branden's insights is that, "Self esteem is the reputation we acquire within ourselves." 

Think about that for a moment. You know what your reputation is amongst your friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and family members. 

But what is your reputation with yourself and of yourself? 

In many ways, self esteem should be thought of as self respect. For, like all other forms of respect, self respect must be earned before it is granted freely and willingly. 

Here are some quotations from our book Project You: Words of Wisdom to get you thinking about your own self esteem and feelings of self worth: 

Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on. Unknown 

Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy. Robert Tew 

Seek respect mainly from thyself, for it comes first from within. Steven H. Coogler 

Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. M. Scott Peck 

Your self image is your pattern. Every thought has an activity visualized. Every activity belongs to a pattern. You identify with your patterns of thought. Your pattern leads your life.  J. G. Gallimore 

A growing body of research suggests that self-compassion, rather than self-esteem, may be the key to unlocking your true potential for greatness. Heidi Grant Halvorson 

Self esteem will also heighten your sense of self worth, a topic you are likely to struggle with at various times in your life. In today's society, one's sense of self worth is at times negated and chipped away at by others, often by the ones you love or care about the most.

Which makes this advice from the author Ralph Marston particularly relevant, "If you really want to improve your self-esteem, stop allowing other people to be responsible for it. Instead, create something of value Make a positive difference." 

Fortunately, self worth can be built up through one's own stimulus, actions and thinking. As the saying goes, "I was worthless, until I decided to be worth more."

No one can determine your worth but you.

This article is partially excerpted from the book Project You: Words of Wisdom, which is available in paperback and Kindle formats at Amazon.