Success and Your Self-Esteem

Self-esteem, the manner in which one feels about herself at the deepest level, influences virtually every aspect of our lives, hence whether we are successful or not. No kidding, it is that important. If we were all brutally honest with ourselves, each of us would quietly confess some feeling of inadequacy in at least one area of our life. This might be leftover scarring from a childhood emotional wound or result from a recent verbal attack from someone. Many times, even though we appear to be ignoring such an assault, we secretly harbor negative, self-abusing thoughts and our mind goes to work to paint worst-case scenarios.

Like Fort Knox, one’s self-esteem should be guarded with great intensity of purpose. We should be on guard, constantly vigilant and aware of anything that could damage our feelings of worth and value. Self- doubt is the Devils’ greatest weapon against us. We should guard our own self-esteem as well as that of our children and other loved ones, constantly building them up and encouraging them. We are all of great value to our Creator, our families and those closest to us. Do not ever allow anyone, whether intentionally or not, to attempt to convince you otherwise. As Zig Ziglar is noted for saying, “When you point a finger at someone else, you have three times that many pointing back at you.”

A sign of lacking sufficient self-esteem is frequently noted in a person who is often critical of others, always finding fault in their performance or activities, all the while attempting to build himself up in comparison. Don’t be fooled, and don’t fall victim to this kind of assault. There is also a fine line between  confidence and arrogance, and the defining variable is often sincere belief and caring. At the core of your values do you actually believe with confidence that you can do it, or is your appearance of confidence a front, masking a sense of fear and inadequacy? True confidence often empowers others with inspiration through leadership. Arrogance often includes a sense of cockiness or a slight demeaning of others possibly attempting the same task as you. An a