Insights: Self-Esteem

There's this American program called "Style By Jury", where every week a random woman (I don't know whether men are involved) is selected to undergo a week-long makeover. But before and after the makeover, a randomly chosen jury is selected to give their first-hand impressions about the person; before the makeover, this would be somewhat of motivation to the person in question to go through the makeover. After the makeover, a new jury would give their thoughts to see just how much the person has changed in the week.

I find the premise interesting. Apart from changing the person's look, they also have life coaches to help build up the person's self-esteem and confidence levels to an all-time high. Mind you, the people they select aren't just regular women. They really NEED help. Not just in terms of fashion, but also in building up their confidence.

It gets me to think of building self-esteem. One thing you should note: self-esteem is one's level of confidence, and this applies to almost everything. Whether it's making friends, doing a project, presenting a slideshow or something else, there has to be a measure of self-esteem in doing them. Yes, even making friends. If you're an introvert (usually possessing low levels of self-esteem) you'd definitely find it hard to talk to people. If you have low self-esteem, there isn't much that you'd be able to do. You'll be hiding yourself from everyone that they won't see the real potential inside of you. Won't that be a waste?

But how do we go about building it up? Well it doesn't take a six-year old to answer that. It's pretty obvious who you go to to do so. But what's more important is that you open yourself to the entire concept. If you shut yourself from the experts, you're not going to go anywhere.

I have a friend of mine who faces this problem. He's got a problem communicating properly with people - save me - and he just can't seem to get along with many. Apart from that, he comes from a broken family, and that only reinforces his introversion. (I'd love to give more details, but I would prefer to keep his identity secret. If you know that I mean you, please don't despair! Read on and it will definitely help you out)It's difficult to actually persuade him to the notion of building up his confidence, believing himself, things like that. Knowing him for a long time, I've tried long and hard to actually drill the concept into his head but I've had little to no success. It breaks my heart to see someone like him live so close to the edge and feel so helpless at the same time.

It's all up to him now. If I can't get him to see it my way, he will have to do it the hard way. And going it the hard way isn't as easy as accepting it earlier. It's not an impossible feat. But it does require more willpower to take that first step.

I admit that I have confidence issues myself. I won't go into detail, but I do my very best to try and maintain a good level. Who would deny it's important? If you're going to keep your doors closed forever, how are you expected to make a living? Feed the family? Expand your business horizons? Things like that? Don't you want to do just that?

There are still ways to go about building confidence without forking out so much cash just to see professionals. Take a good look in the mirror every day and tell yourself that you CAN do it. Attend leadership camps your university or school offers. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. As long as you hold onto a positive mindset, you're already on your way. So don't hesitate!

Cheers!