5 things to boost self-esteem - Toyin Popoola

Self-esteem is an individual's subjective evaluation of their own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.    In other words, how much you appreciate and like yourself. 

There are three (3) types of self-esteem

So, the first thing to do to improve your self-esteem is to:

1 - Belief in Yourself.  Believe in your worth, talent, abilities, and potential. You need to build that trust in yourself, love yourself, and acknowledge that you’re special, fearfully, and wonderfully made. Always remember that you are braver than you think, more talented than you know, smarter than you seem, and capable of more than you imagine. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

2 - Recognise what you're good at.   We're all good at something, whether it's cooking, singing, doing puzzles, or being a friend. Find your passion, locate your talent, work on it through regular use and practice and that, is your strength.  Talent + Skill (Practice) + Knowledge = Strength.

3 - Remember your Past victories. the more you acknowledge your past success, the more confidence you become in taking on and successfully accomplishing new ones. Document your victories and remind yourself of the things you’ve done successfully to validate yourself. For David - killing bears and Lions). I love the way David presented His victories to King Saul in 1 Sam 17:36 when he wanted to confront Goliath. He said to Saul, your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them since he has defied the armies of the living God.” His past victories became the confidence to future challenges.

4 - Build positive relationships: Be sure to surround yourself with positive people, who celebrate and bring out the best version in you. Hang around people you trust and respect, who support you and listen to you and you in turn are comfortable around them. But remember to create boundaries, be assertive and learn to say NO without feeling guilty.

5 – Be kind to yourself: Being kind to yourself means being gentle and considerate to yourself at times when you feel like being self-critical. Think of what you'd say to a friend in a similar situation. Most times we respect and give far better advice to others than we do to ourselves.   Always remember that learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all