“Low self esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on.”
- Maxwell Maltz
Sometimes we can choose to be our own worst enemy, whether we realize it or not. We make choices that do not necessarily benefit our own lives or wellbeing. Even worse, we may even make choices that affect our lives in such a negative way that it hurts rather than helps. We may not even realize it until after the fact. It may occur to us in one of those, "What was I thinking?" kind of moments. It can feel like some form of self-sabotage. It can also make us wonder why we choose to treat ourselves so poorly at times.
While we are the ones in charge of our lives, there can be a lot of baggage from our past that drive our decisions. It can feel like we are on autopilot, playing out our existence based on our conditioning, and not particularly in a good way. This can also relate to how we choose to treat ourselves. If we do not have a high regard for our own wellbeing, way may choose to set the bar just high enough to where we accomplish just enough to get through our day. We may even feel like we do not have it in us to set the bar higher since all it will do is put our desires out of our perceived reach and set ourselves up for a big letdown.
Photo by Aliko Sunawang on Unsplash
When it comes to determining our own sense of self-worth there can be many contributing factors at play including our careers, relationships and socioeconomic status. While there are many people who may hold themselves in a very high regard (and not always in a good way), there are those who skew toward the opposite end of the spectrum. Some of us may feel we do not deserve or have the capacity to create a better life for ourselves. Some people feel destined to live a life of mediocrity due to the hand they were dealt. Some people choose to live the life of their dreams despite the crappy hand they were dealt. The choice is ours.
Where do you fit in? What kind of life are you choosing to create for yourself? How do you value your own-self worth and what you are capable of? It takes an, "I can do this!" attitude to create a better quality of life for ourselves. We must believe we are capable of achieving lofty goals we set for ourselves. It starts by believing in ourselves. If we cannot even do that, we are already setting ourselves up for doing just enough to get by. For some people, that's enough. If we want more, we must do a better job of convincing ourselves that we are capable. It starts with telling ourselves, "I got this. I can do this!"
More Wellness!
Better Help: Why Self-Worth Matters And How To Improve It
PsychAlive: 29 Ways to Increase Your Feeling of Self Worth
Skills You Need: Improving Self-Esteem
