Self-Esteem and Self-Image

Articles on building healthy self-esteem, self-image, self-care, self-pampering, self-confidence.

• Being Your Own Leader
  Perhaps you are wondering: what does it mean being my own leader? Well, among the aspects of being your own leader are that you are your own authority, you think independently, you live your life on your own terms, and you are authentic.
  
  
• Whose Power Are You Choosing?
  Have you ever noticed that nature demonstrates all you need to know about life? Flowers bloom and show themselves off, without help from anyone. They do nothing but be what they are for a little while. Then they rest and come back again in the spring to bring more beauty into our lives.
  
  
• Building Your Self-Confidence: The Key to Success
  The key to being able to accomplish our goals in life is having unshakable self-confidence and a belief in ourselves. Without confidence, we would never have the courage to apply for jobs, go to college, or even commit to a serious relationship.
  
  
• Believing In Yourself Even When Others Don't
  Inevitably in life, we will face disapproval or rejection from others.  They might disagree with the way we live our lives, the decisions we make for ourselves, or even who we are.  They might belittle our dreams, criticize our goals, or make hurtful comments that reveal a low opinion of us.
  
  
• Self-Esteem - Being Your Own Cheerleader
  Many of us believe that the only way to feel good about ourselves is to have someone else constantly reaffirm to us that we are good people. The truth is that the act of simply believing in ourselves can be enough to give us the necessary confidence to accomplish the impossible, achieve greatness, and pick ourselves up when we fall.
  
  
• Using Creative Visualization to Improve Self Image
  Improving our self-image may seem like a daunting task at first. How do we overcome years of negative reinforcement that has convinced us we are not skinny enough, smart enough, or rich enough?
  
  
• Honoring Diversity and Unity
  Have you ever felt uncomfortable with someone because they were different than you? Maybe they had a different ethnic background or skin color, or maybe they were "book smart" while you are more "street smart". Maybe they dressed differently than you do, or maybe you were just repulsed by them and you're not sure why.
  
  
• Self-Esteem Loving Your Ugly Parts
  We don't like to think about our "ugly parts," do we? By ugly parts of course I mean those aspects of ourselves we perceive to be less than perfect. For some it might be physical flaws, like acne, jiggly thighs or a persistent pot belly no matter how many hours we spend in the gym. For others there may be emotional issues like fears, phobias or low self-esteem.
  
  
• Self-Esteem: Self Care and Self Pampering
  It is so important to take time to do nice things for ourselves. Self-pampering is not about being selfish. It's about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others.
  
  
• Body Image Distortion
  An in-depth look at the issues surrounding body image distortion and eating disorders. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? When gazing at your reflection, do you frown or smile? Do you narrow in on your "flaws" and obsess about improving them? Do you see things in your reflection that really aren't there?