‘The difference between mediocrity and excellence is attitude’. This is perhaps the best advice ever, but the most difficult to follow. The brain is the most powerful machine in the world. It has more capacity than the most powerful supercomputer, yet an average person hardly utilizes four to five per cent of its productive capacity.
Most people find life difficult to cope with as they get bogged down by issues in their personal and professional life, turning into bitter, caustic cynics. There must have been times when you, too, would not take up anything because you had already decided that it will not happen. “I know I’m not going to get that job”; “I need to lose weight, but I can’t. Everyone keeps telling me walking and exercise will help, but I know it won’t work for me. Nothing ever does”; “I’ve overdrawn on my bank account and I have no way of getting any money to put it back.” All the things you say you cannot do or will not happen for you are reflective of a negative attitude. Thinking negatively will keep you from getting the things you want or being where you want to be in life. The only person who can take all that negativity out of your life is you.
How do you remove negativity from your life? The most important thing you can do is to have a positive train of thought about every situation. What you think is what will happen. Anything you want from a new job, losing weight or gaining financial stability requires you to think positive thoughts to succeed.
The following list consists of 10 steps to help you raise your self-esteem. For all those times when you need to feel good about yourself, using these methods will help you take control of the way you feel about yourself:
ENJOY RISKS: Remember that without risk, there is no progress. If you don’t try something new, you will never know anything different about yourself. Learn to be a risk-taker in at least some aspect of your life. Taking a class or learning something new will make you discover new things about yourself.
VISUALIZE SUCCESS: Imagine that your goals have been achieved. Of course, most of us rarely accomplish all the goals that we set for ourselves. But if you want to own a home, start a business, have children or travel, you can visualize it and get energy and motivation out of it. It helps the dream become a reality.
CELEBRATE AND COMMEMORATE: Start a ‘Victory Wall’ of accomplishments. Along the way, we all have moments in our lives that we cherish and want to remember. Whether it was a childhood blue ribbon, a photograph of a special time or place, or a memento or an award received, we can give ourselves a boost by showcasing our triumphs and achievements.
SHARE GRATITUDE: Remember to thank people who are helpful to you. You will feel better about yourself if you compliment other people for their accomplishments. Whether it is your child or someone else’s, a friend who needs a boost, or someone you admire or perhaps has helped you in some way, you will learn that boosting morale in others is important as well. It says good things about you if you are able to acknowledge strengths and triumphs in those around you.
TREAT YOURSELF AT NIGHT: Make your bedtime a happy, quiet time. We all must deal with the chaos around us, but everyone should make an effort to set aside some part of the evening for him/herself. You must learn to create a haven around you, to nurture yourself and to treat yourself well. After all, if you don’t create a sense of calm about you, who will? Always feel tomorrow will be better, and many times it is.
TRACK YOUR PROGR-ESS: Outline your personal goals. Keep track of them through index cards, or use a similar system to list exactly what it is you want to do with your life. This can be easily updated and changed on a frequent basis. Our lives are constantly in a state of change, so our goals will experience similar changes.
UNCLUTTER YOUR LIFE: Simplify your life. Stop worrying about what others think and do. When you learn to unclutter your living and mental space, you may sometimes find that you can prioritize other things in your life as well. You may be clinging on to something that reminds you of the past. But if you learn to let go of material objects, you may find that the only thing that was holding you back was ... you!
ACCEPT FAILURES: Don’t give up! Sometimes we goof up, make mistakes, become embarrassed or confused in front of other people. So what? Most people feel the same way. It’s a rare person who never suffers from a blooper or a social mishap. The best thing to do is to persevere when we start something. Maybe we will not like it once we are finished, but we will still feel better about ourselves for having finished it and followed through on a commitment.
CREATE A BUDDY SYSTEM: We all want to cry over somebody’s shoulder. Find a strong and sincere shoulder. Invest in true friends. Take care of their problems, be there for them, and they will be there for you. Select them carefully and nurture your relationships with them. In return, you will get tremendous sustenance.
HAVE FAITH: Remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” You need to become your best friend and biggest fan. Everyone needs a cheerleader, and if you do not happen to have one, then do it yourself! Talk yourself up. Always believe that God is fair and generous, and some day, somewhere, he will compensate you.
