What Is Self-esteem & Why Is It So Important?

“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
- Mark Twain

Self-esteem—It’s something that every person comes equipped with. It can connect people or drive them apart. But most importantly, it’s your opinion of yourself and your capabilities as a human being in the world.

The National Association of Self Esteem (NASE) defines self-esteem as the “experience of being capable of meeting life's challenges and being worthy of happiness.”

How true that definition is.

Recently, there’s been a trend amongst psychotherapists to build self-esteem in everyone. At first, you might think that this would help people and contribute to a better world in which to live, but the effects have been quite the opposite. Studies have shown that too much self-esteem in a person can be as dangerous as too little. The trick to harnessing the power of self-esteem is to find a healthy balance of it in each individual so that they can function to their fullest potential and avoid suffering from the effects of having too much or too little.

Still with me?

If you’re interested in this topic, it’s likely that you’re experiencing problems with low self-esteem. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a condition like any other. I want to help you manage your condition, improve your self-image and help you achieve goals that wouldn’t have been possible without the correct amount of self-esteem to lead the way.

First, a general remark: people with low self-esteem tend to depend on outside factors to determine how they feel about themselves. Ask yourself if you’ve ever thought you were worthless, felt hopeless or couldn’t do anything right because someone else told you so or an event didn’t go as planned. These are major tell-tale signs of low self-esteem, but they can be corrected.

Let’s lay it out in the open right now: an assessment of oneself should depend on the self. You should be the one to determine your own worth and your worth should be objectively weighed. But that’s difficult to do when you lack confidence in your abilities. Can you spot the vicious cycle? A lifetime of second-guessing and weak self-perception is such an easy trap to fall into.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. If it already is, it doesn’t have to stay this way. Recognition of your low self-esteem is your first step towards improvement. If you’re an optimist, it may be your first glimmer of hope for a new life full of promise and potential. I can help you boost your self-esteem and I can begin teaching you how to do it.

All you have to do is read my next article.