A positive life starts with self-esteem, and you can help people by building theirs up.
Problems
Self-esteem
The best characteristic to have
Self-esteem is something that is hard for many to get a hold of, especially for teenagers. However, it is a quality that must be set high because it affects the way you deal with all kinds of pressures.
When you have high self-esteem, there is so much more to gain. You carry yourself as being confident and positive. Above all, you carry yourself as having respect for yourself. If you have respect for yourself, you’ll have no problems understanding the difference between right and wrong.
The hardest thing to achieve
The ups and downs of self-esteem…I’ve been through it all, especially during my teenage years. When you think you’re the odd one out, your self-esteem can get pretty low.
When I was in high school, I found myself finding the days to be unbearable. I wasn’t the popular one, I wasn’t the star on the soccer team, and I wasn’t the life of the group. I wore different labels. I was quiet, shy, and always did what I was supposed to do. I was the “good student”, as many would say.
But as time passed, I found things that I enjoyed. I took art and computer classes and developed a passion that helped me express myself. Soon, I was getting encouragement from teachers and students on my work. My self-esteem started to rise and continues to this day. I never got rid of my “bad labels” in high school, but I found things that helped me ignore them.
You can’t teach someone how to get self-esteem, nor can you just flat out hand it to them because it does require work. Self-esteem is like a personal journey that someone has to go through in order to find out what really makes them happy and confident. When you have that, you then have the power to ignore all of the harmful things that you think will give you high self-esteem.
Shaped through experience
It is important to understand that each person has a different personality and temperament. Self-esteem may come easier for some than others. Although self-esteem is something teenagers discover through their own achievements, there are influences and pressures that help shape this.
People can discourage others from being happy and successful. However, people can also be encouraging and helpful in guiding someone to an area of their interest that will positively raise their self-esteem.
I can assure you that when you help raise someone’s self-confidence through a positive experience or an accomplishment they are proud of, it will also raise your own. I can’t think of a better trade than that.
