Chapter 1 Personal Development 11
Look at Your Positive Qualities
One way to develop a healthy self-esteem is to look at all your positive
qualities. Of course, everyone has weaknesses. You cannot expect yourself to be
perfect. Try not to focus on your weaknesses. Instead, try to improve them.
Take a careful look at yourself as if you are looking into a mirror. What
positive qualities do you see? Maybe you are a cheerful person, a responsible
student, or a loyal friend. Make a list of your positive qualities. Think about
all your past successes and add these to your list, too. You may be surprised
at how long your list is. Pull out the list the next time your self-esteem needs a
boost. Remind yourself frequently that you have value and worth. No matter
what you are facing, tomorrow is a new day. It provides an opportunity for
you to see the situation from a different perspective.
Try Not to Compare Yourself with Others
Try not to compare yourself with others, especially personalities
portrayed on television and in the media. Learn to accept yourself as you
are. If you try to compare yourself with others, you may only compare their
strengths to your weaknesses. This is not a fair comparison and will not help
to improve your self-esteem.
At the same time, try not to fi nd fault with other people in order to
make yourself feel better. People who criticize others only make themselves
appear small in comparison. Maybe you have known someone who had a
lead in a school play. You may have heard others in the play criticize that
1-6 With each new achievement, you can boost your self-esteem.
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