Episode 25 - Part 1: Self esteem: May your life be as awesome as it appears on social media

Letters to my kids: A suicide survivor's lessons and advice for life

Episode 25 - Part 1: Self esteem: May your life be as awesome as it appears on social media

Music: “Just A Blip” by Andy G. Cohen From the Free Music Archive Released under a Creative Commons Attribution International License

https://www.excelatlife.com/articles/selfesteem/index.htm

The Importance of Positive Self-Esteem Of all the judgments we make in life, none is more important than the judgments we make about ourselves. The need for positive self-esteem comes with psychological growth and the desire to trust ourselves.

self-respect and the ability to be comfortable in your own skin and with yourself. Interestingly enough, self-esteem doesn’t have much connection with actual talent or ability. How we value ourselves reflects the way we think, feel and act

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." - Buddha

The development of self-esteem across a lifespan greatly depends on the experiences in a person’s life. In early childhood, our parents/guardians are considered the main source of positive or negative experiences and as such make the biggest impact. Their unconditional and stable love should give the child a sense of security and respect that later will affect self-esteem as the child grows older.

The creation of our self-esteem continues to form into adulthood through our successes or failures and how the messages we receive from our environment affect us (the influence of family, teachers, coaches, friends, peers, work colleagues, partner, etc.). We form an “inner voice” which repeats these messages later in life, either in an accepting and reassuring form or in a heavy, blaming or punishing form.

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are." - Carl Jung

Consequences of Low Self-Esteem vs. Healthy Self-Esteem Low self-esteem can have adverse consequences. It can:

Lead to increased likelihood of depression, anxiety, obesity, oversensitivity, stress, or loneliness. Cause problems with romantic relationships, friendships, academic skills or job performance. Create constant comparison with others, perfectionist thinking, high self-blame, inability to try new things, fear of failure, inability to accept compliments. In some cases low self-esteem can lead to increased vulnerability to alcohol and drug abuse. These negative effects work in a vicious circle, negative thoughts and negative expectations reinforce poor self-esteem and the chance of failure, thus leading to more low self-esteem. "The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children" - Shakespeare People with high self-esteem can be recognized through some of the following descriptions:

Do not excessively worry about the past or the future but rather live in the present. Accept individual differences while at the same time consider themselves equal in dignity to others (not superior nor inferior). Understand that they are valuable and interesting, especially to those with whom they have friendships and relationships. Are able to enjoy different activities, show less fear of failure.

"Talk to yourself like someone you love." - Brene Brown