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Self Esteem: What Influences Our Self-Concept?

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Self-esteem and self-confidence are two terms that are typically thrown around interchangeably. While they are similar in many ways, they are actually two different things.

What is self esteem? What about self-confidence?

Self esteem, otherwise known as self-concept, is a term that refers to how a person evaluates his/her worth. In other words, it’s how you think about yourself. Do you think you’re competent, worthy, intelligent, great? Is it the opposite? Or perhaps, somewhere in between? That’s what self-esteem is.

self esteem

Low self esteem leads to decreased confidence, which leads to lack of success in life.

Self-confidence, meanwhile, refers to having self-assurance. While self esteem is how you look at yourself, self-confidence is how much you trust your abilities, skills, talents, and so on. In order to have a high self-confidence, one must have high self-esteem. So what influences a person’s judgment about himself/herself? Here are two very important factors that starts within oneself:

  • Overall opinion about oneself. Honestly, how do you feel about each aspect of yourself—from your physical appearance to your intellectual capacity to your social skills, and many more? You may have high regard for your intelligence but feel insecure about your looks. You may think you look great but think of your social skills as inadequate. But if you overlook your inadequacies and focus on your strengths, that results in a more positive overall opinion about yourself, with improved self esteem.
  • Personal thoughts and perception. Having a positive outlook in life—your way of reacting to everyday occurrences—can contribute to a stronger self esteem building.

Of course, the environment also plays a crucial role:

  • Childhood teachings and experiences
  • Parents’ love, affection, attention, and guidance
  • People’s reactions to you and what you do
  • Experiences at home, in school, in the community and the workplace
  • Relationships with family, friends and people in the society
  • Illness, health condition, disability, injury
  • Culture and religion
  • Social stature

All these shape one’s well-being and assertiveness. Most of the beliefs that you have about yourself are a result of years of messages from the people you grow up with, and spend time with. In the family, parents who generally give positive feedback (and constructive criticism when necessary) are able to raise children who are sure about themselves. When you have strong foundation at home, negative feedback (even the worst kinds of criticisms) from other people wouldn’t affect you as much. Ranges of self esteem…

  • Extremely high self-esteem – This makes some people think they are better than everyone, resulting in superiority complex.
  • Low self-esteem – This is rooted from one’s negative self-image, the consequence is often inferiority complex.
  • Healthy self-esteem – This the perfect balance that puts you in the middle ground. It’s a result of having a realistic perspective of yourself that while you’re good at some things, there are those that you know you need help with.

Importance of self esteem

Here are the reasons why it’s important to learn how to boost self esteem:

  • It’s easier to form, secure and maintain positive relationships with other people
  • You feel confident about what you can do, and in turn do better in school or work
  • You’re open to feedback, which helps you harness your skills even more
  • You can express your needs and opinions with no difficulty
  • You can make good decisions and stand by them
  • You’re more realistic in your expectations
  • You’re not overcritical about other people and others
  • You can handle stress and setbacks more easily
  • You’re less likely to have health problems, both physical and mental

Building self esteem is crucial to having a healthy well-being. It’s about time that you learn to have a much better but still realistic concept about yourself.

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Self Confidence is Key to Career Success

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According to a series of studies conducted from 2005 to 2007 by a professor from University of Florida, people with high self confidence showed significantly better work performance than those who lack assertiveness. These people have been found to have high regard for themselves. They were also more motivated and less likely to get stressed or burned out at the workplace. As a result, they have higher levels of work satisfaction, higher income, and higher position in the corporate ladder. Needless to say, self confidence is one of the keys to a successful and fulfilling career. The lack of it, obviously, can be detrimental.

Low Self Confidence May Affect Your Work Performance

Not having enough self confidence about yourself doesn’t only mean that you won’t make it to the top. It may also plunge you to the bottom. Here are ways on how low self-esteem can affect your job.

  • Lack of self confidence prompt people to subconsciously undermine their abilities and success. The upshot is, these people wouldn’t think they deserve a raise or promotion. Their employers would eventually think the same thing too.
  • Co-workers and employers are hesitant about the suggestions or ideas of someone who’s fumbling and nervous. In their minds, they’re thinking, “How can you expect us to believe you when you don’t seem to believe it yourself?”
  • People who are not self-confident tend to stay out of the spotlight, even when they’re brimming with great concepts. They are too afraid of rejection to risk it. When someone else pitches in a similar idea, they regret not having the courage to speak up.
  • There is a common misconception that people who lack self confidence are inferior in intelligence, which is not necessarily true. Confidence and intelligence are not directly proportional but many employers make the assumption that they are.

People Of Self Confidence Have Better Chances of Success

If you want to be more successful in your chosen career, self confidence is both an armor and a weapon that you need to wear and use everyday at work. People who feel sure about themselves are more likely to inspire the same confidence in others not only among their co-workers but also their bosses.

Prepare Yourself for Success: Self Confidence Tips You Can’t Overlook

Fortunately, self confidence is not entirely an inborn trait. It can be learned and harnessed. Here are effective ways on how to gain self confidence.build self confidence

  • Engage in positive self-talk. It’s important to know that self confidence starts within oneself. The best way to get it going is to empower yourself. Face the mirror each morning and remind yourself how great you are.
  • Recognize your strengths and capitalize on them. Related to the previous tip, you need to acknowledge and appreciate all the good things about you, and the things you’re good at. While it’s true that not everyone’s perfect, it’s healthier for your self-esteem to focus on your positive qualities instead of your negative ones.
  • Adapt the habits of confident people. Increase confidence by acting like someone who possesses it. Sit in front where you’ll be seen during meetings, speak up, speak loudly and clearly, don’t mumble or fumble, hold your head high, answer questions with assurance, admit when there’s something you don’t know, and so on.
  • Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. If you keep on hanging out with people who make you feel inferior, then you’d start feeling like you are, and that’s a recipe for lack of confidence.

Learning how to be more confident isn’t that difficult. It starts with the desire of achieving more success in your career. With proper motivation and the right moves, you can be on your way to becoming more self-assured, filled with self confidence and eventually, successful.

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