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The holidays are a very dangerous time for self-esteem. The last thing we need to do is measure self-worth based on gifts. There are hundreds of opportunities now to turn away from activities that involve comparing ourselves to others. You only need to look within yourself to know if you are doing the right things. Don’t allow someone else to set your priorities for you. If you hate to do outside lights, get a spotlight and devote yourself to visiting the animal shelter if that’s what you want. It’s better to have a happy house than a tension-filled one that wears 10,000 lights. This season, more than all the others, should encourage you to value yourself because you are already valued…there is already a reason you’re here.
I am lucky enough to be on a train right now. It’s dark but that’s okay. I still love the swaying, rhythmic movement that is beginning to make me sleepy.
There are two phone conversations I’m trying not to listen to–difficult because I can hear every word. These people think they are having a private chat but the rest of us know that the girl in row five is incensed with her boyfriend and the man a few seats up has, for reasons we can only guess, found it necessary to state over and over that he is a very busy person.
Something has been lost with the advent of this media-mad world. § Read the rest of this entry…
As we head toward Thanksgiving, the remnants of Halloween remind me that when we get together with family and friends, sometimes we wear masks in an effort to make other people think we are someone we are not. We wear our masks in hopes people will give us “treats” in the way of praise and affirmation.
We wear our mask to work, smiling to hiding the strain of the fight we had last night with our partner. We wear a confident mask as we use our credit card, hoping it won’t be rejected. And every mask we put on makes us feel less certain of ourselves, makes us feel more and more like a fraud. § Read the rest of this entry…
Today, I would like for you to take a little test. I would like you to jot down when you are feeling good and what you did to make yourself feel good. I would also like you to jot down when you are feeling not-so-good and why. I am talking about mood, not the H1N1 flu. If at the end of the day you have 4 or more times you feel not-so-good, then I want you to ask yourself, does feeling positive about myself depend on other people? Are you waiting for someone else to reward you—and if they don’t, is that when you feel bad? If so, I have some terrific news for you. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!!!! § Read the rest of this entry…
Have you ever had a friend who was so negative you didn’t want to be around him? On a sunny day he would say, “Yes, but it’s going to rain later.” After a good movie, “The amount of money actors are paid makes me sick.”
Low self-esteem is the same thing as being a negative thinker. All you focus on are the things you can’t do or should have done better. If you put yourself down like this all the time, you won’t even want to be around yourself! To build self-esteem, focus on the things at which you have been successful, no matter how small. God did not put you on earth to hate yourself. § Read the rest of this entry…
I get many, many inquiries about how to help low self esteem, especially in children. People are afraid they have caused low self-esteem in their children and want to know what are the best self-esteem building activities. The best self-esteem building activity besides spending time with your child WITHOUT OTHER DISTRACTIONS–most notably, constant cell phone calls, is to do activities in which your child can be successful.
If they are building a sand castle, let THEM build it. You may help minimally, such as demonstrating, but then sit back and let them do it. Tell them they built a good sand castle, § Read the rest of this entry…
How do you get your emotional “place” back on track? You have already begun if you recognize that you don’t feel grounded and comfortable. Ask yourself—is there anywhere in my life where I am not authentic? Do I agree when I really disagree? Do I pretend to be someone’s friend when I’m not? Am I pushing away truths I don’t want to hear? Do I deny myself the same pleasure I would urge someone else to embrace? You are who you are—and sometimes you need work. But before that comes being really, really, really truthful with yourself and the life you are living.
How do you start unleashing your creativity when you are overwhelmed with responsibilities and time limitations? You have to break your routine. Eat chili for breakfast. Buy a luxurious bath gel instead of soap. Go home a new way. Take a picture of something you like and learn how to put it on your computer screen. Let the dishes sit and go for a walk. Part your hair on the other side. Sit in a different place in church. Buy shoes if you only wear sandals. Buy sandals if you only wear shoes. Turn the TV off. Buy a sketch pad. Play with clay. Skip a meeting. Go barefoot. Eat a bog of popcorn then skip dinner. This is your life and your only life. If you could see it from beginning to end you would see how much time you wasted on things that didn’t matter. Start now.
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