Take Two Awesomes and Call Me in the Morning

Those of you who know me know that I am a big believer in encouraging people to raise their self-esteem. I believe in this for several reasons. The first being that it is important to know your skill set and what is available to you when problems arise. The second is that many are raised to believe that knowing you are good at something will somehow make you conceited or a braggart. Think about the people you know that have a high self-esteem. Would you consider them conceited or a braggart? Probably not. Conceited people who brag generally have low self-esteem or, you know, they are sociopaths. Finally, when you think back on your life, the mistakes you have made come back to your mind so easily, but only the reigning happy events, such as weddings and babies, get a spot at the top. Heck, you probably remember mistakes you made as a kid in elementary school. This type of thinking will weigh you down. It will lower your self-confidence, and it will lower your self-esteem. It will take up the space that is meant for joy.

So, you might wonder what you can do to rid yourself of the negativity and raise your self-esteem. I like to have people start and end their day with some “awesomes.” I would suggest that when you wake up, you start your day by saying, “I’m awesome because (fill in the blank.)” You should say 2-3 awesomes at the beginning of your day, and 2-3 more at the end of the day. At first it may seem uncomfortable, but keep at it; it will become more natural. Try to focus on internal and external things, such as, “I’m awesome because I am loyal.” This is an internal characteristic. Then you might also say, “I’m awesome because I can throw an amazing party.” This is an external capability. So by now you’re thinking, what possible difference can this make? Well, when you repeatedly acknowledge your awesomes, you are really identifying your skill set. These characteristics are what lift you up and bring you joy. You are actually rewiring the way you think about yourself. By thinking of concrete, tried and true positive traits about yourself, you begin to raise your self-esteem. And folks, if your self-esteem is high, your self-doubt is low. So please, take your daily awesomes, and begin to experience the joy of letting go of negativity.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all had a high self-esteem?