Self-esteem is not a privilege for a specific person or group of people to have. Everyone deserves self-esteem, no matter how much doubt crowds their head. Everybody must have love, confidence, and respect for themselves. However, many still ask, what is self-esteem?

Self-esteem is a way to measure how much you, as an individual person, admire, respect, and believe in yourself. Without a healthy amount of these things, you can have trouble shaking off negative thoughts about yourself or forgetting events where things had gone wrong. You might not be able to reach your goal or pursue something that you enjoy in life. However, having great self-esteem and respect for yourself can help you forgive yourself for past mistakes and move on. Self-esteem can also support you in taking chances since it is a part of living life to its fullest. It allows you to discover new skills, make new friends, and be pleased with who you are.

There are plenty of ways to begin a journey to gaining self-esteem and loving yourself. One approach is to surround yourself with those who can bring your mood up. An example can be your friends and family. Sophomore Mia Sanchez Miller stated that talking to her friends and family boosts her self-esteem because of how supportive and understanding they are. “My little siblings,” Nhi Nguyen, a junior, claimed, “I can help them out, and that capability is an encouragement to always do better as a role model for them.”

Another approach is to do activities and hobbies that bring you joy. One method that sophomore Natalie McLaren has used is by praying and spending her time with the Lord. One student claimed that writing articles and reading fantasy books help them cope with any personal self-esteem issues. Boosting your self-esteem does not limit to only hobbies and activities but doing acts of kindness and taking a moment to appreciate your accomplishments, as a junior stated, can improve self-esteem as well.

The last approach is to realize that everyone makes plenty of mistakes, and these faults are used for people to grow. One courageous student had admitted to having low self-esteem, and the only way to help it is by pushing themselves to their limit and then actually succeeding, which rarely happens for them anymore. Anyone who may be struggling with self-confidence should remember that everyone has their faults and fears, and it is entirely normal not to be perfect. “Maybe I made a mistake yesterday,” Kim Namjoon had said during his 2018 United Nations speech. “but yesterday’s me is still me. I am who I am today, with all my faults. Tomorrow, I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that is me, too.”

Gaining self-esteem is a journey that many people take, and in the end, it is worth it. No matter what, everyone, including you, deserve recognition, courage, and honor for yourself. Boosting self-esteem includes surrounding yourself with loved ones, participating in hobbies and activities that bring you happiness, and realizing that mistakes should be made to grow. The only time you should look back is to see how far you have come. You got this! 

“We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to ‘speak yourself.'”. (2020, October 27). Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/we-have-learned-love-ourselves-so-now-i-urge-you-speak-yourself

Quote only