Vivian Harte

Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself as a person. It comes from an inner knowledge that you are competent, confident, and worthy of a good life. You gain self-esteem by understanding yourself and the value you have. With a strong sense of self-worth, you recognize that you can accomplish what you desire to do and be, that you have the ability to be successful in relationships, and that you are happy with who you are.

Does this describe you? Others are used to you saying yes to everything they want you to do. You feel you don’t want to do it and you ache inside every time you say yes. You want to shout, “No, no, no!” But you say yes with a smile on your face anyway, feeling angry at yourself and them too. But, of course, you never let them know your true feelings.

While positive affirmations provide the words to create new beliefs, visualization provides the mental imagery to see yourself actually living these beliefs. Your mind then records the mental pictures as real and valid. You can see yourself speaking confidently and acting confidently. You can see yourself being a stronger person in your everyday life.

Bullying in schools continues to be a hot topic. But why? Why would a child feel good about tormenting another child? Why is social media being used to embarrass, harass, and belittle others? Why are inappropriate texts and photos being shared? Why is violence a huge issue in schools? The root cause of anyone demeaning another is low self-esteem.

Fear is as real as courage. Although the value of fear isn’t as obvious as the value of courage, it does have its advantages. Fear is your instinct telling you that you’re uncomfortable — even if the situation will not cause you harm. Everyone has had that feeling when you would rather pull the covers over your head than face that one event of the day.

By brightening your personality, you open the natural flow of desirable qualities that will make you more appreciative of yourself and more appealing to other people. Here are several ways to enhance your personality: Create happiness within yourself. Have an optimistic and upbeat frame of mind. Be warm and inviting to others.

Let's get positive, people! Saying and thinking affirmations often is one of the most valuable ways to change your self-talk. If you say uplifting things to yourself that help you reach your goals and reflect the sense of self-worth that you’re developing, you’ll head in a new and healthier direction.Following are some tips for writing your own affirmations: Choose a negative thought and write its positive opposite.

It doesn’t matter what your ears are tuned to — everyone is talking about self-branding. That’s the buzz, but do you really know what it means? Do you have a brand? If you were to deliberately create one, what could it do for you? Branding is one of those buzzwords that everyone uses, but few people really understand what it means.

People with a strong sense of self-worth exhibit a number of characteristics. When you see these characteristics reflected in yourself and your actions, you’ll know your self-esteem is on the rise: They appreciate themselves and other people. They enjoy growing as a person and finding fulfillment and meaning in their lives.