Esteem Power

By Lorey Hayes

What do you think of yourself? How do you value your worth? Do you respect yourself? Are you your own best friend? Since Self-esteem is your own opinion of yourself, it should not be determined by what others think of you or how you think other people see you. It is about how you see you.

How do you see you? Think about this for a moment. What is your opinion of your own self? And what do you base your opinion on? Self-esteem is important because it affects every area of your life. It determines how you live your life; how you treat yourself and others and how you value the world around you. According to Webster’s Dictionary esteem means to set a value on, whether high or low. It goes on to say that setting a high value on something is to regard it with reverence, respect or friendship. In other words, esteem is an opinion, or judgment of merit or demerit; founded on supposed worth.

Many of us overlook our special gifts. Often times others see what we miss. In almost everyone’s life, someone has complimented you on something: your smile, the brightness in your eyes, the kindness in your voice, the way you laugh. Let us not take small things for granted. These are gifts. To soothe a crying child, to make a friend laugh when that person is down, to show special kindness to one’s elders or a pet or even someone you may not like. Whoever you are, there is something special, beautiful and unique about you. Let us together find out what it is and rejoice in you.

Take a moment to stand in front of a mirror. Really look at yourself. First your eyes. Look deep. Who is in there? Who is that person staring back at you? That is your inner-child: that part of you that remembers your dreams, your wishes and your hopes. Your inner-child knows what your best is and wants you to claim it with joy and thanksgiving. Allow your inner-child to speak to you. What does your inner-child see when it looks at you in the mirror? This true self knows your worth and high esteem as a child of God. Just as a drop of water in the ocean is a part of the ocean. As a child of God, you are God like, created in God’s image. Allow that image to speak to you. With this in mind, again look in the mirror. Look at your face; your brows, your lips, your nose, the lines on your face and see all of it and all of you as part of a special creation.

Raise your level of grace and you will raise your self-esteem.

Build greater self-esteem. Start at this moment by listing 50 things you like about you; or others have said about you, and why you are special. Write this list on a pretty piece of paper. Don’t edit it or cross anything out. Some things may feel silly or self-indulgent. That’s okay. Allow your inner-child to write this list. Even include the things you desire to have others say about you. When you have finished, fold this paper in three parts and put it in a special place. Date it. Do not look at it for one week. In my next article, we will go a step farther.

Remember, there is no one else on this earth quite like you. And when we reach Mars we probably will not find your long lost clone. So, celebrate your uniqueness and praise God for making you who you are.