Low Self Esteem

Self esteem is defined as an appraisal on one's own worth. Low self esteem then can be said as having a low appraisal on one's own worth. Low self esteem on its own is not necessarily a bad thing, that's not to say it's a good thing. The problem with low self esteem is that it can drive those with it to do and say things, in order to be accepted by others. Unfortunately what this does is cause people to say things they don't mean, do things they otherwise would not and lead a life and lifestyle that is outside of their true personality. Low self esteem can lead to relationship problems, financial ruin and health issues including depression.

A person suffering from low self esteem most likely won't know it because their residual self image is that of someone who is liked and respected by others. It's only those that are looking at the individual that can clearly see the issues. People with esteem issues are often used, abused, mistreated and taken advantage of, in both personal relationships and the workplace. Ironically, you often find that people with low self esteem usually give others good, sound advice, but are unwilling to take it themselves. They will tend to lead a pretentious lifestyle and constantly struggle with one issue or another.

Although, low self esteem presents itself as a visual problem, ie. how people feel they are perceived and in turn perceive themselves, it is actually an emotional issue, rooted deep in feelings of inadequacy. These could be feelings of failure - judged against how one measures success, lack of confidence or incompetence or lack of financial resources. These emotional issues usually result in bad decision making, which can affect the outcome of the true potential in one's life.

To overcome these feelings, one has to be honest with themselves about how they feel about themselves. The ability to identify what is holding you back and then confronting that issue, by realizing it does not define you. This is harder than it sounds. People with low self esteem have spent years on creating and believing their image and that cannot be undone in an instant. The good news is that, once identification and realization has been obtained, confrontation, change and acceptance are not too far behind.MM.