Sunday, January 22, 2012

Lesson 4 Building High Self-Esteem



The terms self-esteem and self-confidence are interchangeable and are synonyms of each other. Both can be defined as: having confidence and satisfaction in oneself and in one's powers and abilities. 


Having high self-esteem is considered an emotional trait of highly successful and happy people. 


The great thing about self-esteem/confidence is it's NOT something you are born with, but it is something you can build yourself no matter what your current circumstance is. 
Anthony Robbins, an author and leader in the science of peak performance says this about the emotion of confidence in his book "Awaken the Giant Within:"


"Unshakable confidence is the sense of certainty we all want. the only way you can consistently experience confidence, even in environments and situations you've never previously encountered, is through the power of faith. Imagine and feel certain about the emotions you deserve to have now, rather than wait for them to spontaneously appear someday in the far distant future. When you're confident, you're willing to experiment, to put yourself on the line. One way to develop faith and confidence is simply to practice using it. If I were to ask whether you're confident that you can tie your own shoes, I'm sure you could tell me with perfect confidence that you can. Why? Only because you've done it thousands of times! So practice confidence by using it consistently, and you'll be amazed at the dividends it reaps in every area of your life.


In order to get yourself to do anything, it's imperative to exercise confidence rather than fear. The tragedy of many people's lives is that they avoid doing things because they're afraid; they even feel bad about things in advance. But remember: the source of success for outstanding achievers often finds its origin in a set of nurtured beliefs for which that individual had no references! The ability to act on faith is what moves the human race forward."


Okay we see that confidence interacts with faith, but what is faith? A general definition of faith by Webster's Dictionary is, "faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof; to have complete trust."


The nice thing about learning how to build self-esteem is that there are numerous resources out there for you to learn from. One of my favorite blog sites out there is called "Pick the Brain" and it's a website dedicated to self improvement with a focus on personal productivity, motivation, and self education.


Here's a great article that will help you build self-confidence. (Click on the Title Below)


10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence.


Question (please answer)
1. Of the 10 ways to build confidence, which do you find the hardest to do and why and which do you find the easiest and why?


Assignment
Click on the tab titled Recommended Books and Articles and click on "Think and Grow Rich." Read Chapter 3 on Faith and Chapter 4 on Auto Suggestion. Write a half-page personal auto-suggestion including what you want financially, emotionally, family, spiritually, physical wellness, and anything thing else you desire.

8 comments:

  1. The first one that comes to my mind that I need the most work on is speaking up. Most of what I hear at home and especially at work in loud environments is the response what? I try to be more conscience of how loud I am speaking, but for some reason it sounds a lot louder in my head. I just have quiet voice and feel I have to shout for most people to hear me. I do notice a difference in how people respond to a comment or question when I voice my words loud and clear. On the opposite side I feel gratitude is my strength, and something easier for me to do. I like to be told thank you, and feel it is two of the best words to tell another person. It feels good to tell someone thanks and show your appreciation, so I am usually mindful of others contributions in order to express my gratitude to them. They feel important and valued, and I feel good that I made someones life more enjoyable. It's a win, win!

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  2. The hardest for me would be the personal commercial. I would feel silly reciting something in my mind I purposely came up with to boost self-confidence, especially in front of a mirror. I might feel so silly I would lose confidence. The idea isn’t bad with the reminding the self of strengths and goals, but I just can’t see myself actually utilizing this one easily in a time of need.

    The easiest is likely the one I already do all the time and have done for almost as long as I can remember. Walk faster. This could be because I’ve always felt like time is important and that traveling somewhere, especially by foot is kind of a waste of time.

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  3. Of the 10 ways to build confidence, which do you find the hardest to do and why and which do you find the easiest?
    Dressing sharp is the hardest for me. I really don’t have any really nice clothes and whenever I buy something I feel like I have to justify buying it. My family lives off one income and we have a lot of medical bills and things that come before me looking nice. Someday it’d be nice to be able to dress like I want to, but for now there are just more important things. It does affect my self-esteem, but I’m learning to have a good self-esteem despite things I no longer have control over.

    Sitting in the front row and contributing to a conversation/lesson is the easiest one for me. It doesn’t take any effort and I really could care less if other people are judging me. If I’m not tuned in and apart of the discussion than I am not learning (and I go through way to much crap just to go to school, to waist my time not learning).

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  4. For me the hardest one is the personal commercial. I have a hard time talking about myelf and my strengths, and I have a hard time, even if I am alone, to stand in front of a mirror and talk to myself as practice. I also have a hard time with the speaking up. I've never been afraid to give my opinion if asked, but i've never been one to raise my hand and just give it. The easiest for me is the dressing nice and good personal hygiene. I've never been one to spend tons on clothing, but I make the effort to get ready every morning and present myself well, I'm cmfortable and confident in the clothing I do have.

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  5. Of the 10 ways to build confidence, which do you find the hardest to do and why and which do you find the easiest and why?
    Of the 10, the way I find the most difficulty with is 4. Personal Commercial because lately, I couldn’t say why, but I have been terribly self-damaging. I put myself down far too much. It especially puzzles me, because before, and while, I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ, I was very self-affirming. My confidence in all of my strengths and even the acceptance of my weaknesses was very high. Human Relations has been such a breath of fresh air, to finally recognize some of my “stinkin’ thinking,’” and repair the damage I have caused to my wonderful self. :)
    The method I find easiest is 2. Walk Faster. This is when I usually have good posture and feel the most determined, as I walk at my usual brisk pace. I actually feel confident, as it suggests, when I throw my shoulders back, stretch out my neck and chin, and greet people as I walk past them. One of my favorite things to do is walk with a purpose, whether it’s to the car after work, or from the living room to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

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  6. One of the hardest ways I have to build confidence is to dress sharp. I understand the importance of dressing sharp to make an impression when conducting business or making an impression. When I was in outside sales and field service, the way you present yourself goes a long way to make the sale or show professionalism. I had to dress in slacks and sports shirts to make sales calls on purchasing agents and buyers. You are judged on your appearance and how you look. If you have an attitude of not caring demonstrated by your dress, then your sales call will be short and unsuccessful. As a student it is too easy to dress in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops as daily attire. I dress up for class presentations and I know I can make a better presentation at school if I dress for success.
    The easiest way for me to build confidence is gratitude. I have a great attitude for gratitude. It is the most important characteristic a person can have. I can keep my mind focused on the positive aspects in my life and direct my efforts forward to success. At times, things in the past have a way of invading your mind and telling you that you can’t succeed. Keeping gratitude in the forefront of your mind will keep you focused and on track.

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  7. The hardest step for me is to walk fast. I am a type 1 diabetic and because of my low self worth I do not take care of my disease. I am often sick, sluggish, tired, dizzy, and have problems with my feet. There are so many days it takes everything I have to get out of bed and start the day. I would love to have the energy to walk faster.
    The easiest step for me is to dress for success. This is a step I have preached to my kids, friends, co-workers, and subordinates. When you are dressed for success your attitude shows and people around you such as bosses and potential employers notice. I will dress up for work even though it is not a requirement, because it makes me feel more confident.

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  8. Out of this list, the thing that I find hardest to do is number 5. I find myself spending way too much time focusing or you could say “daydreaming” of the things that I want and I spend less time thinking of the things that I already have. When I think of things that I want and don’t actually have, I dwell on my weaknesses. I get a tad depressed because I blow my weaknesses out of proportion and I then don’t feel good enough. My mind creates reason why I do not have these things that I want and they are usually negative reasons. Out of this list, the thing that I am best at is number 6. I love to compliment people. When someone looks good or does a good job at something I like to tell them. I feel good about myself because I made someone else feel good. I like making others happy and putting them first. I feel better about myself and I think more positive. I like complimenting people and seeing them smile. It brings a smile to my face and smiling makes me happy.

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