Self Esteem: Build an Unbreakable Positive Self-Image

In this section I describe the self-defeating cycle of negativism and how it leads to low self-esteem

The first tip is to take stock of your personal attributes and focus on what you already have rather than on what you don’t have

Stop mistakes having negative consequences on your self-worth. You can limit the negative effects of mistakes on your life by changing how you view mistakes.

People with low self-esteem put too much importance on other people’s opinions and too little on their own.

One aspect of human nature is the tendency to make global ratings of the self, based on very specific instances of something we don’t like. This is not good for building a healthy self-esteem.

The first habit to develop which will help you be more compassionate with yourself, is to try and assess your actions more accurately. When you do something wrong or make an error it is a bad idea to globally rate yourself as being “an idiot, stupid, a loser or a failure.”

The second habit to develop is to practice using more positive language on yourself.

The third and final habit to develop is to accept your limitations and move on.

Negative thinking can be particularly damaging to self-worth. Lets consider the self-defeating cycle of negativity and how it destroys self-esteem.

The mind is a very noisy and busy place. For many of us it is an undisciplined environment. Moment by moment new thoughts can pop into your head without notice. Many of those thoughts can be negative and start a negative loop which can drive you into a depressed mood.

To break a negative loop, shift your mind and body onto a mentally and/or physically demanding task.

Negative thoughts about yourself can feel very true, but that doesn’t mean they are. Actually 99% of the time they are probably false!

In this section we discuss the value of being just good enough and using preference language as a means to gain healthier self-esteem.

It is hard to escape a world where the overriding message that dominates the airwaves is that you have to be the best and that being average isn’t good enough...

Demandingness is a sure recipe for disappointment. Stamping your foot down and expecting the world run to your every beck and call might seem like a pleasant notion, but it is unrealistic...

Before we look at the 5 tips in this section, let me share with you the underlying principle which makes them effective.

I must confess that this must be one of my favorite options to use when I’m feeling a bit down in the dumps. I enjoy a good beat, and fast paced music to get me in a positive mood...

Another favorite tactic of mine to put me in a positive frame of mind is to spend some time in the outdoors...

There are many benefits to picking up a good piece of literature and immersing yourself in it. Here we discuss some of those benefits on self-esteem.

When you are struggling to achieve a healthy self-esteem, find someone, a role model, who has done it and copy them.

The capacity of gratitude to boost mood is well documented and since our moods affect our self-esteem, knowing about and exercising gratitude is extremely important.

In the beginning of this course I said that I would share with you some of my biggest takeaways from the material. Here are three of my best insights.

The end is just the beginning...