As a young woman in college, I was required to take speech class which I put off until my senior year. The first day, we sat in a circle and went around, with each student saying his or her name. Panic overtook me, and when it was my turn, I was in tears. And now? I’m an educator and speaker to thousands of people. What happened? I gained in self-esteem, which powered my growth. There’s no magic here, and each of us can nurture our self-worth.
The costs of low self-esteem were significant: I tried to live up to others’ standards and expectations because I didn’t have confidence in my own; I took few risks socially or academically; dated little because I couldn’t converse with boys; and dwelled on my problems and shortcomings. I had a lot of growing up to do if I wanted to have a happy, successful life.
The benefits of high self-esteem (which does fluctuate, to be sure) include: feeling and looking good; being more productive; knowing you are lovable and capable; responding to people in healthy, positive ways; dealing more positively with the ups and downs of life; and fulfilling your own needs and aspirations.
Come back next week as we address the sources of self-esteem and the reasons it can fluctuate.