As humans, we are not perfect. We might possess the best qualities; a perfect set of teeth, good physique, a nice complexion, but still, something will be missing. The fact that we are not perfect, breeds instances of insecurities and low self-esteem. When you start perceiving yourself negatively, looking down on your body or your self worth, these are symptoms of low-self esteem. It is like an inner voice that stays in your head and whispers, “You are not good enough,” or it can even go further to call you a loser. Low self-esteem can affect confidence. One of the reasons people shy away from public speaking is because they have low-self esteem. For instance, I have a friend who wears glasses and cannot see well without them. Throughout her high school days, she was mocked and teased by friends for always wearing glasses. They nicknamed her, “four eyes.” Now, she avoids public gatherings because her self esteem has been damaged, almost beyond repair.
Not only can low-self esteem affect confidence, but it can also affect overall well-being. When you have a voice in your head constantly telling you that you are not good enough or inadequate, it could lead to psychological damage, and in worst cases, suicide. I have heard stories of people who committed suicide because they just couldn't take the negative thoughts anymore and had to let it all go. With my experiences and the many talks I have had with people, I have concluded that the top cause of low self-esteem is bullying. Do you remember that kind in your elementary or high school who couldn't go a day without teasing people or dashing out negative comments? That's where it all starts. During my elementary school days, one of my classmates had to transfer to another school because other kids wouldn't stop calling him “fat” and comparing him to a pig.
Today’s inleo prompt asks us what strategies can be used to overcome low self esteem. One of the best ways to tackle low self-esteem is by using the ng reversed psychology. I once had a conversation with @princessbusayo on Neoxian City Discord. Princess watches all kinds of horror movies. I asked her why she enjoys watching them, and she replied that she was once scared of things like that- horror movies and everything related to it, and to tackle her fears, she used her fears to tackle her fears. I believe we can apply this strategy to tackle low self-esteem. If you're scared of public speaking because you wear glasses and you are afraid of what people would say. Just try wearing glasses literally everywhere you go, particularly in public gatherings. Yes, use your fears to tackle your fears.
It is important to acknowledge that no one is perfectly made. However, it is equally important to know that even though you are not perfectly made, you are beautiful in so many other ways and that's what matters. Don’t let your negative inner voice win against you. If it says “you are nothing,” remind it that you have achieved so much and you still have enough time to achieve more.
It is also important to surround yourself with the right people- positive-minded people who make you feel good about yourself, not those who intentionally rub your insecurities on your face. There are many people out there who don’t care about what they say. Their job is to go out and point out negative things about people. “You are short,” "You are too fair or dark.” “Your teeth are too big.” All they know how to do is point out negative things. Some of them think they do it as a joke. No good and wise person would joke about people’s physical qualities. If you have people like this in your life, kick them out. Surround yourself with people who make you feel seen. Surround yourself with people who make you feel confident.
Battling low-self esteem is a gradual journey. It takes patience, consistency, and so many other factors.
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This is my entry to the inleo monthly prompts. The topic is; what strategies can be used to overcome low esteem.
Thanks for reading.
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I struggled with low self-esteem for years including being shy to walk in public for of the fear of what people would say or call me. I was very shy to even speak in public and yes, was scared to the last but I started overcoming it by doing those things I was afraid of. Now, I walk in public with confidence in me because I chose to see myself that way. I can face camera to speak and even sing now and it has been something amazing.
Hello there, Princess. I'm really happy you overcame your fears. I'm happy that you can now walk in public without thinking about what people would say. Currently, I’m also working on myself. Hopefully, I’ll overcome my fears soon.
Hello, love.
Reading through this, I remember the book I started reading which I told you about. The truth is, no matter how much we try to avoid negativity, it will always come to us but the one that we have to be weary of is not the one that come from people because most times it’s actually the truth about us though our weaknesses. The negativity we should be waging a war at is the one that comes from us.
I have seen cases when someone tries to tell someone how ugly they look and the person’s response was just out of this world and that goes to tell us how much that person has been able to work on herself. She was like, oh! Yes that’s not a new thing, can you be ugly? Being ugly is not what makes us the best or worst people so, we shouldn’t let these things affect us but then, most times we just can’t help it. It takes a lot of work to be able to start turning negativity into positivity. First, we will have to win that battle in our minds because that where the whole problem lies.
I have had days when I have low self esteem and since I started recognizing that I fight most of this battle in my mind, I stopped seeing every criticism from people as an offense. If it’s something that I can work on, I will do so but if I can’t, it means it’s the truth and though it’s bitter, I just need to accept it or else it will keep weighing me down when people tell me about it.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, love. ❤️
Hello there, love. This is really a beautiful comment.
First off, I'm happy that you are ready that book; it is obviously loaded with many “rare gems.”
The truth is that, it is difficult to overlook what people say. I understand that the best way to battle these wars is to, OVERLOOK THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS. But the truth is that this process is not easy at all, particularly for people who have big insecurities.
It takes a lot to be like your friend. Your friend is strong, but not everyone is strong love.
Thank you so much for the beautiful compliment, love. 🤭
The truth is, not everyone can be like my friend like you’ve mentioned, not even me. I know and that is why I’m working on myself because it’s the best. I don’t want anyone to be like my friend, I just want everyone to see that there is a way to get over these things and we shouldn’t give up on trying to work on ourselves. I mean, we can be better so why hold ourselves back?
And yes, negative words get to most of us and it’s actually really hard to just discard them but those who easily discard them or turn them into something more positive, live freer and happier.
Face your fears and surround yourself with people of positive mindset who will bring out the best you. That's just about the right way to rise above low self esteem.
Nicely written and thank you for sharing 🙂
Yes, surround yourself with positive people. It works well.
Thanks for stopping by.
You are welcome 🤗
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Fear to tackle fear, seriously that's the way, attack is the best form of defense. God bless you. Weldone
Thank you, sir.
Thanks for stopping by.
thank you for this wonderful write up.
As humans, we are not perfect but our perfection is made known in God
This is very valid, sir. No one is perfect, but our perfection is made known by our creator.
This is a good one 💯
Bullying, as you mentioned, is a significant cause of these issues.
I also like your strategy of reversing fears to tackle them, facing what scares us can indeed be empowering.
Surrounding oneself with supportive and positive individuals is indeed essential for rebuilding self-worth.
Thank you for sharing @justfavour 🙏🏼
Words hurt. People who use their words to bully people are the worst.
Thank you so much for stopping by.