- Can you list ten of your positive qualities right now?
- What are your biggest achievements?
- Do you have a passion and/or purpose in life?
- Do you believe that others see your positive traits?
- How do you treat people and things that you value? Do you care for them?
- What about you? Do you love yourself? Do you believe that you have a value as a person?
- Do you find time to pamper yourself and do what you enjoy to do?
Not having time for yourself is just an excuse. You always can make time for things that matter. The problem might be not a poor time management, but rather a low self-esteem.
I started researching about self-esteem after I realized that years of emotionally abusive relationship caused me a loss of my identity and trapped me under the layers of self-doubt and depression.
I lived like a victim; I behaved like a victim; and I didn’t see any future ahead.
SO WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?
Self-esteem is who you believe you are, the value you see in yourself. It’s a reputation that you have with yourself and a relationship with yourself that needs to be nurtured.
All through your life as you experienced problems, relationships, and decisions, through your thoughts, actions, and reactions you continued creating a sense of self. Based on this sense, you make choices and allow (or don’t allow) yourself to behave the certain way. Self-confidence, self-respect, and self-worth are all the components of self-esteem.
If you feel helpless, powerless, and completely overwhelmed, you might lack self-confidence.
If you find yourself living in contrast to your values and beliefs, and engage in self-destructive behaviors, it means that you lost self-worth and don’t think you deserve happiness.
Do you know your self-esteem level? Read more in SELF-ESTEEM TEST to find out!
Read next LOVE AND ACCEPT YOURSELF. CHAPTER 2. WHY SELF-ESTEEM IS SO IMPORTANT.