You
are worth more than you think, and it is only when you start accepting this
will people also see you in the same light
Do you ever feel
like you are not good enough? That when other people achieve something, it is
because of their general awesomeness, but when you accomplish something, it is
probably by fluke? Do you set really low expectations for yourself and try not
to get your hopes up, in the assumption that if things don’t go your way, you
won’t be badly hurt, but when they do, you will be pleasantly surprised?
I think like
this quite often and have been working on trying to change and “owning my
awesomeness”. All of us have something special about us that another person
doesn’t have, and if we place the right amount of value on our self-worth, it
allows the awesomeness to shine.
If you have low
self esteem, it can really mess with you — you end up having negative thoughts,
take time to bounce back from setbacks and make yourself more vulnerable to stress.
It could also impact your confidence and the way you come across to people. If
they see you putting yourself down, then eventually they might start to believe
in it too.
There are no
overnight cures for changing the way you think about yourself, but here are
some ideas to get started:
Stop
making excuses for your accomplishments:
If you have done
something well, own up to it. Accept compliments saying “thank you, I worked hard
for it so I’m really happy about this!”. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
If you did something well, take time out to celebrate your success instead of
wondering why it happened to you.
Refrain
from making comparisons with others:
As our fingerprints
tell us, no two people are alike. When comparing yourself to others, you end up
focusing more on your flaws than on what’s going right for you. If you make
comparisons to set goals, change the way you go about it. It’s no longer about
“X is the class topper and I need to beat her”, but “I’ve done well but I know
I can do better next time.” Set your own standards instead of using others as a
benchmark.
Believe
in your strengths:
If there
are some things you are good at, recognise this and keep doing more of it.
There will be times when you encounter failure, and it will be tempting to
start thinking negatively because of this. At those times, remind yourself that
you do have strengths too, and your times of failure perhaps did not capitalise
on them.
Give
back to society:
Altruistic acts
contain an element of self-interest. In this case, volunteer your time and
skills for a positive cause. This will help you create a tangible difference in
others’ lives, while also allowing you to appreciate what you have to give and
to be thankful for what you have.
They say “treat
others the way you would like to be treated”, but I believe the corollary is
also important : “treat yourself the way you want others to treat you”.
All
of us have something special about us that another person doesn’t have.
Source: THE HINDU-13th August,2018
