Sunday, August 12, 2012

Secret of Self-esteem


Many of us have an inner critic within us who is constantly belittle ourselves with harsh judgments. It makes us to doubt ourselves and feel inadequate to the circumstances of life. It is the enemy within. It is good to know our mistakes. But it is a grave mistake to exaggerate our mistakes and bury our self confidence. 

Recently I read the following passage of Dr.Maxwell Maltz, the famous author of Psycho-Cybernetics. It gives us a very good prescription to achieve self-esteem. Please read the beautiful message and follow the advice.

- N.Ganeshan


Secret of Self-esteem

Stop carrying around a mental picture of yourself as a person less capable than others, by making unfair apples-to-oranges comparisons. Celebrate your victories small or large, recognize and build on your strengths, and continually remind yourself that you are not your mistakes.

The word "esteem" literally means to appreciate the worth of. Why do men stand in awe of the stars, the moon, the immensity of the sea, the beauty of a flower or a sunset, and at the same time downgrade themselves? Did not the same Creator make us? Is not the human being the most marvelous creation of all? This appreciation of your own worth is not egotism unless you assume that you made yourself and should take some of the credit. Do not downgrade the product merely because you haven't used it correctly. Don't childishly blame the product for your own errors like the schoolboy who said, "This typewriter can't spell."

But the biggest secret of self-esteem is this: Begin to appreciate other people more; show respect for any human being merely because he or she is a child of God and therefore a thing of value. Stop and think when you're dealing with people. You're dealing with unique, individual creations of the Creator of all. Practice treating other, people as if they had value, and, surprisingly, your own self-esteem will go up. For real self-esteem is not derived from the great things you've done, the things you own, the mark you've made, but from an appreciation of yourself for what you are-a child of God. When you Come to this realization, however, you must necessarily conclude that all other people are to be appreciated for the same reason.

- Maxwell Maltz