Self-esteem Can Do Wonders For Your Self-esteem | Psychology

By RickLondon
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Self-esteem can do wonders for your self-esteem. I know you probably are going to go back and read that first sentence to make sure I worded it properly.

Many feel that a person is born with it, or maybe was popular in grade school and held onto that for the rest of their lives, always succeeding at whatever due to public support. If only that were so, we'd all have an excuse to frown and be depressed most the time.

This is actually not the case at all. The beauty you had a crush on in high school who maybe relied mainly on beauty for self-esteem later becomes an adult, has children and stretch marks, and a bad marriage. She escapes into television and maybe chemical dependence. It doesn't always happen that way, but more regularly than you may think.

In other cases, children born into royalty, Hollywood elite families, etc. have much expected out of them from the start. This can erode self-esteem early. I am not saying this happens to all the high and mighty, but it is more commonplace than one might think.

I will go back to basics. Self-esteem can do wonders for your self-esteem. That might not make sense if you feel your self-esteem has diminished for whatever reason. My point is, it can be learned for the first time, or re-learned in a whole new fashion.

Maybe you were the star athelete and wore the right clothes, made applauded every time you through a touchdown pass. You kept your grades up and you got consistent positive feedback. This helped your esteem. That is often how we get it early in life. But it is no longer that way in adulthood. Later in life, you landed a high paying marketing job and you hate it. The pay all goes to an ungrateful wife who spends it on fashions and takes vacations with her group of friends. And took your self-esteem with them, while you stayed home and drank beer and watched the game on television.

We have an obligation to ourselves in adulthood to create our own self-esteem. We rarely get much unconditional love, attention, and acknowledgment of our deeds we did when we were younger (unless we have a dog). It won't be done overnight. But each time we do something positive for ourselves or someone else, it builds. It is a process.

Consider that on your worst day, you commit to go to a soup kitchen and serve food. Maybe a nursing home and visit with the elderly. Tutor a kid with his/her homework. Do something positive to get outside of yourself. You will not get back your self-esteem most likely in one day. But if you find yourself making it a habit of helping others, you will slowly find your self-esteem rising. It is a natural consequence of helping others and getting outside oneself. Perhaps it is true when they say, "God works in mysterious ways." Maybe its the way the universe operates. The fact is, whatever you believe, or don't believe, it truly works.

Iwith depression and low-self-esteem since my teen years (even when I was a popular kid). I always felt alone, even with people. Then I grew up. I became an adult. All of a sudden I was in my late forties. How did it all happen so fast. It was a blur. But now, I'd had a major heart attack and I was keenly aware of my mortality. Heart attack? That was what other people had, not me. I guess everyone thinks that. So I took a week and analyzed my life. I took, (as Richard Dreyfus' book in 'What About Bob?', baby steps. I studied. I researched. I learned. I even went back to college online. Online colleges lured some of them and they continue to study.

It is an interesting experience, to experience higher self-esteem, especially when one never had it. I fall into that category. I take it slow and easy. I enjoy the learning process. It has nothing to do with money or fame. It has to do with knowing me, and, finally, learning to like me, and maybe even love me, so I can love others.

If we've passed the age of forty, we've endured some of life's tough knocks. It has humbled us to a certain degree, hopefully. I just take a little time out of each day and do something to build my self-esteem. I may do a lot of other things incorrectly, but I try to learn to do them right, and still, I take time for myself to do just a little something positive for me or someone, just for the sake of doing it.

In ten years of doing this, I feel I've made me a better person, and given that, made the world a little better place.

I created the largest cartoon site o the Internet which makes people feel good. I then launched nine gift stores; LTSuperstore, RickLondonCollection, Justfunnygreetingcards,Justfunnycoffeemugs, Justfunnyaprons, Mirthgirthbirth, RickLondonwear, Justfunnymousepads, Justfunnyhoodies, etc. Surfers stop at my stores and often order either for themselves or a friend or family member. Laughter is a great self-esteem builder and is quite bonding.

Exposing ourselves to humor helps us be more light-hearted. We learn to "wear the world like a loose-fitting garment". If you do not feel you are a funny person, no problem. Just try to expose yourself to something or someone humorous as often as you can.In time dramatic changes can happen and you will like them. I know that I did and I'm a very slow student. Eventually, even for me, it happened and is happening still.

It won't happen overnight, I can almost guarantee you. But it will happen if you put forth just a little effort. Remember Bill Murray, once again, in 'What About Bob'. Baby Steps. And each of those baby steps will build you into the person you always wanted to be, and more.

About the Author

Cartoonist Rick London battled depression and low self-esteem for years. He has since taken a path to higher self-esteem. He makes others laugh with his cartoon gifts & collectibles and Top Internet Offbeat Cartoons Easy Self-Esteem: Even If You've Never Had It

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