In her novel ‘The Bluest Eye,’ Toni Morrison wrote about a girl who was not happy with her looks. She wanted blue eyes, but she had black ones. She wished she could have a comfortable home, but she had an unhappy one. Her weak self-esteem only worsened with her dysfunctional family showing complete lack of love for her.
Some of us may have had similar unhappy moments - at home, at school, among peers and family. We believed the lie that we are not good enough. Some of us may have the best of beginnings, but a failure or a series of failures may have corroded our self-esteem. Still, some of us may have everything going in favor of us, but our constant negative self-talk could be harming.
Whatever be the reason, there is a possibility of repairing your spirit and nurturing your lost self-esteem. Here are some tips to boost your low self esteem:
1. Put a stop to victimhood
The more you think that you’ve been a victim of unfavorable circumstances and people, the weaker you feel. It is time to stop being the victim. See your past as a dream and look forward to the future with the roar of a lion!
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2. Remove the baggage
The times you were bullied, the times you felt put down, and the instances of failure lend a damaging emotional baggage. Emotions attached to every distasteful memory damage the foundation of one’s self-esteem. Dropping them becomes essential for nurturing self-confidence. But, how do you drop emotions that have ransacked your mind for so long? Through meditation!
Meditation to boost self-esteem is a reality. The process not only clears your mind of distressing emotions but it also makes you comfortable with your self. When you are comfortable with your self, your self-confidence gets a tremendous boost.
3. Curtail the negative self-talk
Sometimes it is our minds pulling us down with constant doubts and other negative self-talk. Instead of grumbling on your shortcomings, resolve to address them. Instead of indulging in any negative inner dialogue, observe them till they dissolve into oblivion.
4. Compete with yourself
Competing with others sets off unrealistic expectations of ourselves - a tendency which produces a spiral of self-damaging thoughts. It is a tendency which neither makes us productive nor happy.
However, if you compete with yourself, you’re not only more productive but can build a stronger self-esteem. So, strive to be better than the previous day and previous year rather than the fellow sitting next to you!
Based on inputs from Amol Wagle and Seema Thanedar, faculties, The Art of Living
