Staying calm, composed and maintaining strong self
esteem in today’s tough environment can be difficult but
is not impossible if you follow a few simple guidelines.
Here are 6 tips you can use as a starter guide to self
improvement.

Everything and everyone else around you can affect
your self esteem. Other people can deliberately or
inadvertently damage your self image. Unchecked
people and circumstances can ultimately destroy your
self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even
notice. Don’t let these influences get the best of you. But
what should you avoid?

1 : A Negative Work Environment

Beware of a “dog eat dog” environment where everyone
else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-
appreciative people usually thrive and working extra is
expected and not rewarded. In this environment no one
will appreciate your contributions even if you miss
lunch, dinner, and stay at work late into the night. Unless
you are very fortunate most of the time you will work too
hard with no help from others around you. This type of
atmosphere will ruin your self esteem. This is not just
healthy competition, at its worst it is brutal and very
damaging.

2: Other Peoples Behaviour

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners,
backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded,
controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders,
patronizers, sluffers - whatever you want to call them, all
have one thing in common - an overriding desire to
prosper at the expense of others. Avoid them and do not
be tempted to join them. They may get some short term
advantage with their behaviour but deep down most are
very insecure, unhappy and ashamed of their
behaviour. For most their self esteem disappeared a
long time ago. Seeing someone like this prosper is
sickening but do not join them - you are better than that!

3: A Changing Environment

In today’s fast moving society it is difficult if not
impossible to avoid change. Changes challenge our
paradigms and tests our flexibility, adaptability and alter
the way we think. Changes can make your life difficult
and may cause stress but, if it’s inevitable, you must
accept it, don’t fight it and in time find ways to improve
your life. Try to manage change and try to avoid multiple
changes at the same time. If a particular change can’t
be avoided welcome it. Change will be with us forever,
we must learn to live with it.

4: Past Experience

We all carry “baggage” - past experiences which have
moulded us to who we are today, but some people live
in their past experiences - usually something that hurt
and still hurts. It’s okay to cry out when you experience
pain but don’t let pain dominate your life as it will
transform itself into fears and phobias. If something
painful happens, or has happened to you, find a way to
minimise the effects. Discuss it with a friend, a family
member or a professional if necessary and move on.
Don’t let it continue to dominate your life and dictate
your future actions. Because something bad has
happened doesn’t mean it will happen again. Learn
what you can from any bad experience and move on.

5: Negative World View

The television news is full of doom and gloom and it is
true that around the world there are many people
suffering war, famine or other natural or man-made
disasters. Whilst I do not suggest you should not care
and do nothing, remember that there are many beautiful
positive things happening too. Don’t wrap yourself up
with all the negative aspects around the world. Learn to
look for beauty too for, in building self esteem, we must
learn how to be positive in a negative world.

6: Determination Theory

Are we a product of our biological inherited
characteristics (nature) or a result of the influences we
absorb throughout out lives (nurture)? I believe how we
are is due to a mixture of both nurture and nature and as
a result our behavioural traits are not fixed. Whilst it is
true that some things are dictated by genetics (for
example race, color and many inherited conditions)
your environment and the people in your life have a
major effect on your behaviour. You are your own
person, you have your own identity and make your own
choices. The characteristics your mother or father
display are not your destiny. Learn from other people’s
experience, so you don’t suffer the same mistakes.

Are some people are born leaders or positive thinkers? I
don’t believe so. Being positive, and staying positive is a
choice. Building self esteem and drawing on positive
experiences for self improvement is a choice, not a rule
or a talent. No-one will come to you and give you
permission to build your self esteem and improve your
self. It is in your control.

It can be hard to keep positive, especially when others
and circumstances seem to be conspiring to pull you
down. You need to protect yourself and give yourself a
chance to stay positive. Improving your self esteem
gives you that protection.

One way to stay positive is to minimise your exposure to
harmful influences while using affirmations to boost the
positive influences in your life. Constantly reminding
yourself of the good things in your life will keep the
impact of negative influences to a minimum.

About the Author

John Edmond has 4 grown up and successful children
and recently obtained a creative writing degree. He now
writes on a number of topics including Building Self
Esteem. To improve your self esteem get your free
copy of The Affirmware “7 Part Affirmation Course”
now.

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com