Self-Esteem

“Experience is not what happens to a person. It is what a person does with what happens to him.”

-- Aldous Huxley

High self-esteem - feeling good about oneself makes it easier to meet the challenges of life. Families that believe in their ability to succeed are most often able to carry it out. Good self-esteem provides the basis for a strong family unit.

Key Points

People who have a good opinion of themselves and know that their lives are worthwhile face life in a positive frame of mind. They feel capable of making good decisions for themselves and others around them.

Families that encourage and foster high self-esteem are:

able to accept some failure as normal, and not let it keep them from trying again;

able to cope with the day-to-day challenges or problems that come their way;

able to look toward their future with excitement and confidence, while working toward fulfilling their goals; and

not likely to let others make their decisions for them or to influence them to do things they do not want to do.

Positive self-esteem goes deeper than a pat on the back. To really feel good about ourselves and to keep on feeling that way, we need to know that we are capable of doing things which are important to us, and to be able to do those things when they are required.

Family members can help each other make positive and meaningful connections with the world around them. Making a contribution by doing meaningful things for others makes the world a better place to live and makes us feel better about being a part of it.