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It's time to appreciate yourself! You are unique and special. You have your own talents and skills, your own appearance, and your own experiences. We all want to to be accepted, and we all want to accept ourselves for who we are. So we need to learn who are are - our identities, our values , our personal strengths and weakness. That may sound simple. But it can feel confusing during adolescence, since adolescence is a time when you may feel that 'who you are' is constantly changing and evolving.

What is Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem refers to how you feel about yourself. Self esteem is not an unchanging characteristics of a person. We all go through times when we value ourselves highly - and we all experience periods of self-doubt. Our Self-esteem changes at different points in our lives.

Your self-esteem affects the way you behave and the decisions you make. In turn , the decisions you make and your behavior can positively or negatively affect your self-esteem. So it's important to get a good cycle going: knowing yourself , valuing yourself , making good decisions , and feeling good about yourself. Let's start now.....

The key to feeling good about yourself is to know yourself. This means you need to recognize your strengths and positive qualities as well as your weakness (including those you have to live with and those you might be able to change ). Growing up with healthy self-esteem helps us to be accepted by others and to achieve our goals.

People often refer to 'high' or 'low' self-esteem. High self-esteem means that you value yourself. It means you recognize your own strengths , weakness , and skills. People with high self-esteem acknowledge their successes and achievements , respond confidently to challenges , and practice positive thinking. When you have high self-esteem , you are generally satisfied with who you are and what you are doing with your life.
Low self-esteem means that you have negative feelings about yourself or doubt your own self-worth. People with low self-esteem feel inadequate , helpless , inferior , and unable to improve their life situations. Of course , overall self-esteem is often a mix of traits you value and qualities you don't like as much. So it is helpful to think of self-esteem on a spectrum , or range , which can be change over time. Make a list of 5-6 of your strong abilities.

Are you :

Honest ?
Reliable ?
Loyal ?
Polite ?
Hardworking ?
Patient ?
A good friend ?
Good with children ?
Intelligent ?
Sensitive to others feeling ?
A good teammate ?
Respectful to elders ?

Do you have a talent for sports , science , drawing , dancing , singing , or anything else? Do you have courage , creativity , or a strong spiritual sense ? Are you generous or do you have a great smile ?

After you have make your own list ,put a star next to a quality that you are especially proud of , or that you think others recognize with you.
Now make a list of 2-3 of your weakness. Be honest , and remember that we all have weakness. You can put a check mark [X] next to the weakness that you want to change.

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External Factors that Influence Self Esteem

Individuals begin to develop a sense of self-esteem when they are very young. Children who are brought up with love , warmth and provided support feedback in the family are more likely to be more self-accepting. Children who receive consistent counsel from parents feel more confident about how to behave.
As we grow up and interact with a wide range of people ,other people's attitudes and behaviors can also affect us.

In other words, a person's self-image is not determined by wealth, gender, physical abilities, or culture. Rather, it is determined by the way other people respond to the said individual based on these characteristics. Often, people respond to others based on socially learned norms that reflect the society in which they live.

Internal Factors Affecting Self Esteem

Your self-esteem may be affected by other people , but in the end , you have the most influence. Many people who grow up in difficult circumstances or face unfair discrimination still value themselves. Don't let anyone take away your self-respect

There are many ways to enhance self-esteem

• Accept yourself the way you are. Do not compare yourself to someone else. You are you

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses.

• Set realistic goals for yourself. No aiming for anything can make you feel disappointed in yourself.

  Check Setting Goals from my previous write up

• Identify your values and let them guide your behaviors.

• Develop your abilities and be proud of them. You deserve it !

• Cultivate positive relationships and avoid relationships where you do not feel appreciated for who you are.

• Select your role models

If you believe in yourself , chances are that you will put in more effort and be willing to try new things. This means you'll be more likely to discover and develop your natural talents and abilities. Accepting and respecting yourself will also attract acceptance and respect from others.

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Increasing Your Self -Esteem

1. Know yourself
2. Act like yourself : Explore your interest and develop your abilities. Set achievable goals.
3. Connect to others : Select role modes whom you trust and respect. Seek help when it is needed. And sometimes helping others remind us that we are needed and valued.
4. Be patient and optimistic : Give yourself time to gradually grow into the type of person you want to be.

THANKS FOR READING