Enhancing Self Esteem

What are some of the ways of enhancing self esteem?  As I mention elsewhere many times genuine self esteem comes from becoming directly conscious of your true nature.

When you know the stillness within is actually a connection with the divine and you cultivate this connection, it is the only way of overcoming low self esteem.  Your self esteem transforms into something authentic, real, absolute.

So unless cultivating this knowing and connection is the base of your work to raise your self esteem anything else you do will be more of a cover up job than a permanent change.

However, the below points are things you can do as a way of enhancing self esteem.  Think of them as supplements rather than solutions.

• Belong to a group

One of our fundamental needs as humans is to feel that we belong to a group.  We want to feel that we are the same as at least one other person in some way.  This is why it hurts so much if we are not invited or included in a group when we are children.  It is about safety, confirmation that we are not too defective, feeling we have some worth or value etc.

• Volunteer

Helping others does feel good.  It is unusual for someone to help others purely because they can, usually there will be some selfish reason.  I don’t mean selfish in a critical way just as an observation that helping others feels good to the helper.

• Dance

Music, movement and freedom seems to connect us internally or bring about something within us that we don’t normally experience.  It seems the body, mind and spirit all loves to feel movement and can leave you feeling grounded and connected, which is important for self esteem.

• Sing

Singing when done correctly begins from deep down in the abdomen and also here is a strong sense of being.  Down in the navel below the belly button is your centre.  It is from here that breath, voice and energy seem to begin.  So singing allows you to access this place and provides a way to express your unique, authentic sound

• Workout/fitness

Most people have experienced being at their physical best at some stage.  Not only does the brain and body make nice feeling chemicals when we exercise but there is something about taking active interest and care of your body which brings its own rewards for how you feel and treat yourself.

• Teach

No matter how little you know about something you will know more than people who know nothing about it.  You can specialise in being the teacher to new beginners. Once they have learned from you what you can teach they will naturally move onto the next teacher.  That is normal, perfectly fine and is rewarding to know you make a difference to someone’s understanding.

• Connect with someone

This can just be a 2 second connection in the store.  Have a think about whether you experience any moments of connection regularly.  This is not just an interaction but a connection.  Walk into a store with the purpose of making a 2 second connection with the person who asks you if they can help.  You don’t even need to say anything if that is not easy for you.  Just look at them in the eye for 2 or 3 seconds as you say ‘no thanks’.  There is a HUGE difference between looking at someone’s eyes and looking into their eyes.

For example look at the picture here and notice you can vaguely glance in the direction of her eye or you can take a couple of seconds to see the eye directly.

• Receive bodywork

It feels good not only physically but in all ways to have someone’s attention on you.   When you have a massage or reflexology or Alexander Technique you are being touched by another human in a non-needy, gentle and caring way.  This is beneficial to your sense of well-being and your connectedness.

Enhancing self-esteem is still about spiritual principles of feeling grounded, centred, connected and with service to others.  Notice that enhancing self-esteem has nothing to do with buying stuff.