One Day at a Time

by Leslie
(Danville, VA)

I’ve always had low self esteem and have cared far too much about what other people think and feel. I’ve found that there’s no magic phrase or exercise that increases self-esteem. It’s a discipline that you have to work at each day.

My mom once told me that each day, rather than looking at all the things you did wrong (which I used to do all the time and still do frequently), you should run through the day and compare those wrong things to all the things you got right.

Odds are, the right things will outweigh the wrong things.

Also, try not to think of these right things as “what’s expected.” Think of them as little victories or triumphs. You had a task and you completed it; that’s success.

It might seem a little selfish, but at some point, you’ve got to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks/needs/wants, and look at what you want or need.

You don’t always have to put yourself before everyone else, but if you do it every once in a while, it actually does make you feel better about yourself. I try to do this now and again.

I’d say my self-esteem is better than it has been in years, but again, each day I have to concentrate on something positive about myself or accomplishments to remind myself that I do matter and what I do has a lot of worth.