5 Signs that Your Self-Esteem has Silently Shifted from “Drive” to “Reverse”

The words self-esteem and self-worth fly around our daily world with many of us completely avoiding this topic. Why? Often, it is fear of the unknown of what having low self-esteem REALLY means and how it impacts them. Another reason is the exhaustive thoughts of fixing it. There are many people where their first thoughts are years of therapy or coaching that cost them thousands of dollars they would rather spend somewhere else. This isn’t true by the way! Think of your self-esteem like a muscle. You must exercise it regularly to keep it strong. "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." ~ Carl Jung For any of you that know my work and my beliefs, I work with the inner voice and the core of self. I do believe all our answers lie within us TODAY and hold the key to our future. Many people are silently seeking self-worth fixes outside of themselves and sometimes not completely aware. Some say, they know they do this, but do not know how to change this. They put others down directly, indirectly, or back handed comments. Why do we easily not reach for understanding, compassion, or a compliment of others? Do you want to feel more confident from the inside out? According to Wikipedia… “Self-esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, "I am competent" or "I am incompetent") and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame. A person's self-esteem may be reflected in their behavior, such as in assertiveness, shyness, confidence or caution. Self-esteem can apply specifically to a particular dimension (for example, "I believe I am a good writer, and feel proud of that in particular") or have global extent (for example, "I believe I am a good person, and feel proud of myself in general"). Synonyms or near-synonyms of self-esteem include: self-worth self-regard, self-respect, self-love (which can express overtones of self-promotion), and self-integrity. Self-esteem is distinct from self-confidence and self-efficacy, which involve beliefs about ability and future performance” (Wikipedia, 2010, Self-esteem). Now, if you are reading this and fearful of where you self-esteem is right now, do not despair. Our self-worth can be like a roller coaster ride in life, but rest assured you can get back in the driver’s seat starting today. It didn’t happen over night when we slip into reverse, so give yourself some time and patience to find your ‘drive’ once again or for the first time. Here are a few of the signs of a slipping self-esteem…. 1. Taking other peoples inventory instead of our own 2. Fear that people have hidden demoniac meanings to their words far too often (Example: “Did you hear what Sally said to me? She said she liked my dress, but I bet it was a dig”…) 3. Anxiety is more present than usual. One example is so many people are ‘irritating’ you! 4. Fear of judgment is present too much in your life and judgment of self has been kicked in to high gear! 5. When you go to the grocery store and you obsess & look forward to the candy, chips, and Ice Cream isles, while making a bee line silently screaming for Ben & Jerry!… There are many options at your fingers tips to improve your self-esteem starting today. Some people like to self-start, others are ready for one on one coaching, or a little of both. After all, you are the *Star* of your own life, so let’s get going. Working on our self-worth and the relationship with self is the most important relationship you will ever have. Like ripples in a pond, it goes out to all others areas of our live and loves without thinking, so make it strong! I like to keep things as simple, yet powerful as possible since we all have these busy 21st century lives. Our Inner Voice = Success or struggle? Which do you choose? (Our Inner Voice is the voice of our self-worth by the way.) Get going now with your exploration of options and shift into high gear! Vrrroooommmmmmm……………….Life is waiting! Copyright © 2010 Merna Throne. All rights reserved.