By Rick London
Self-esteem can do wonders for your self-esteem. I know you probably are going
to go back and read that first sentence to make sure I worded it properly.
Much of the population feels left out, as
if on the sidelines. They feel that only people who had it from the start still have self-esteem, or perhaps they were well-liked
as kids and and it stuck with them into adulthood. They always succeeding at anything because they were "so loved". The
fact is, "it just ain't so".
This is actually not the case at all. The beauty you had a crush on in high school who
maybe relied mainly on beauty for self-esteem later becomes an adult, has children and stretch marks, and a bad marriage.
She escapes into television and maybe chemical dependence. It doesn't always happen that way, but more regularly than you
may think.
Much is expected of children of successful and/or famous parents. One thinks this may give them a "free
ride" onto the high self-esteem track when it usually does just the opposite. In fact, many rebel and get into destructive
habits to find their own voice, and never grow out of it. No self-esteem found here
So, once again, self-esteem can
do wonders for your self-esteem. That might not make sense if you feel your self-esteem has diminished for whatever reason.
My point is, it can be learned for the first time, or be established maybe for the first time in a whole new lifestyle. We
have the right to reinvent ourselves.
Maybe you were the football jock who lifted weights regularly and was applauded
every time you blocked a tackle. You kept your grades up and you got more positive feedback. This helped your esteem very
much. Later in life, you landed a high paying marketing job and you hate it. The pay all goes to an ungrateful wife who spends
it on fashions and takes vacations with her girlfriends. Where did your self-esteem go?
The truth is, as adults, we
more often than not, have to create our own self-esteem. And the closer we get to knowing our real selves, the closer we get
to higher self-esteem. We no longer get all the unconditional love, attention, and acknowledgment of our deeds we did when
we were younger. It builds by the little things we do. Try it, keep a journal, and look at it next year. Read the whole year
and see how dramatically you have changed for the better.
Even on a depressing day, drive yourself to a soup kitchen and volunteer. Visit a shut-in; run an errand for someone
wheelchair-bound. Tutor a childwith his/her homework. Do something positive to get outside of yourself. You will not get back
your self-esteem most likely in one day. But if you find yourself making it a habit of helping others, you will slowly find
your self-esteem rising. It is a natural consequence of helping others and getting outside oneself. Maybe it's physics. The
universe works in this fashion. We can fight it or join it.
I fought low self-esteem for many years. Suddenly I looked
up and I was fifty. But now, I'd had a major heart attack and I was keenly aware of my mortality. Heart attack? That was what
other people had, not me. I guess everyone thinks that. So I took a week and analyzed my life. I took, (as Richard Dreyfus'
book in 'What About Bob?', Baby Steps. I studied. I researched. I learned. I even went back to college online. I helped other
elderly people learn the Internet and even helped a few get into college.
All these little things worked toward building
my self-esteem and I don't say build it back. I don't think I ever had it in the first place. So self-esteem is new to me,
and a little goes a long way.
With all the obstacles and challenges I have endured in my life, and I am certain there
are many others who have much tougher stories, if I can do it, anyone can. I just take a little time out of each day and do
something to build my self-esteem. I may do a lot of other things incorrectly, but I try to learn to do them right, and still,
I take time for myself to do just a little something positive for me or someone else, or both, with no thought of compensation.
I'm a slow learner, but in ten years, I've accomplished a thousand times more than I did in my first forty-three years.
I created the largest cartoon site on the Internet which makes people feel good. I then launched nine gift stores; LTSuperstore,
RickLondonCollection, Justfunnygreetingcards, Justfunnycoffeemugs, Justfunnyaprons,
Mirthgirthbirth, RickLondonwear, Justfunnymousepads,
Justfunnyhoodies, etc. Surfers stop at my stores and often order
either for themselves or a friend or family member.
Laughter is a great self-esteem builder and is quite bonding. Being around humor makes us feel "lighter". It is human
nature to want to laugh. We should laugh. Laughter, like crying, are both very important releases. And they both put us in
touch with our feelings. And our feelings put us in touch with who we are. And when we know who we are, we have our self-esteem. It
won't happen overnight, I can almost guarantee you. But it will happen if you put forth just a little effort. Remember Bill Murray, once again,
in 'What About Bob'. Baby Steps. And each of those baby steps will build you into the person you always wanted to be, and
more. About the author: Cartoonist Rick London battled depression and low self-esteem for years. He has since taken
a path to higher self-esteem. He makes others laugh with his cartoon gifts & collectibles and Londons Times Cartoons http://www.londonstimes.us Easy
Self-Esteem: Even If You've Never Had It.
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