Thursday, May 19, 2016

Some Thoughts On Self-Esteem

Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard.  Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else.”
-Nathaniel Branden
 
If tomorrow I walked on the Potomac river, the newspaper headline would say, “President Can’t Swim”.
-President Lyndon Johnson
 
Here’s a dose of reality.  No matter how good looking you are, no matter how smart you are, and no matter how creative you are, there is always someone better looking, smarter, and more talented than you.  However, it goes the other way too.  There is always someone less attractive, not quite as bright, and with fewer gifts than you.  Never compare yourself to others.  Your goal is to be the best version of who you are.  Take care of your physical self.  Educate yourself and expand your thinking in whatever way you can.  Develop whatever talent has been given to you.  Everyone is not a superstar but everyone is unique.  Instead of wasting time and effort comparing yourself to others, look in the mirror and discover your own gifts and uniqueness.  It is also a good thing to remember that not everyone will like you or praise you.  I know there are some people who think I hang the moon and walk on water.  There are also people who think the opposite.  I am not everyone’s cup of tea.  If I am not your cup of tea, try a different blend or switch to coffee.  Many of you are much younger than me and you probably value acceptance by others.  Some of you are closer to my age and probably understand that other people’s acceptance decreases in value the older you get.  High self-esteem has more to do with accepting yourself as you are rather than being concerned with what other people want or expect you to be.  True joy is being who you are and being happy about it.  
 

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