Words of WisdomHow do you feel about 'you'?July 2007  You can't touch it, see it or even hear it. It does, however, affect how you feel about yourself, how you see yourself, and how you talk to yourself. What is it? It's your self-esteem. Lets look first at the word 'esteem'. If you hold someone in high regard or you respect him or her for what they do or the type of person they are, then you hold them in high esteem. Now, let's look at the 'self'. That of course means you. So when you put the two words together, 'self-esteem', it is the confidence you have in your own worth or abilities. How much do you value yourself? How important do you feel you are? How do you feel about what you have achieved? Are you proud of yourself? A person with high self-esteem has courage to stand up for him or herself and make good choices knowing that every part of them is important to take care of. A person with low self-esteem tends to feel bad about who they are and what they do. They tend to be negative about themselves and put themselves down. They have negative internal dialogue and will continuously think they are not good enough. They self-criticize and feel they are not important enough. Usually low self-esteem begins with childhood, and, can also happen throughout life, during times of crisis or life changes, which force us into uncomfortable situations that seem to be out of our control. It is okay to have ups and downs in your feelings, however, having low self-esteem, is not okay. Feeling like you're not important can make you sad and can keep you from trying new things. It can keep you from making friends or hurt how you do at school. Low self-esteem can also lead you into depression. If you think you might have low self-esteem and would like to find new ways of having strength, courage and pride. Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments, contact us because you can have control over your health and the 8th Side can help. If you have a topic you would like us to write on or if you have any comments, please contact us.   |
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