There is a difference between self-confidence and self-esteem. People with high levels of confidence often believe they are the self-confident type while people with low self-esteem tend to think they lack confidence. These two concepts are often confused or thought to be the same thing. When they do not coincide, the person can end up being very lonely as other’s opinions about them do not match what they feel or believe about themselves.
Confidence can mean different things to different individuals. To some it is feeling totally sure that you can do anything, to others it is believing that your opinion matters and that you are correct in it even if other people think otherwise. Your sense of self-confidence is probably very similar to your perception of yourself as a whole.
To find out if you have a low self-esteem or a confidence problem, ask yourself some questions and determine how you respond. Think about the things that bother you and make you anxious. Once you have determined these factors, evaluate them to find out if they are indeed true for you. You may have a problem with your self-esteem but you are not actually shy or nervous all of the time.
If you cannot determine if your self-esteem is low or high, try this exercise. Take a friend with you. Ask him how he feels about certain things. If he feels low, he may tell you so. However, if he feels high about something, he may not tell you it is a problem. It may just be that he is shy and that his emotions come out whenever he is worried about something.
A good indicator of self-esteem is how comfortable you are with yourself. Are you always telling yourself that you are good or great? Do you feel great when you look in the mirror? Are you more outgoing or more shy?
If you are more outgoing, then this is usually a good sign that you have a high self-esteem. However, if you tend to spend most of your time being timid around people, you may have a low self-esteem. This is because people will judge you by how confident you act. If you are always acting silly around people, then they will begin to think you are insecure and that you do not have confidence. If you are confident and secure though, then people will be more drawn towards you.
One way to check your self-esteem and see if it is in fact high is to do an honest assessment of how you feel about yourself. Start by rating yourself on a scale from one to five. Then ask a family member or close friend to evaluate your self-esteem for you. The person should be unbiased and have no personal biases. They can be your best friend or a complete stranger. Once the evaluation is complete, you can compare your score to your own.
So you can see there are many ways to raise your self-esteem and boost your confidence. There are also many ways to lower it. Your behavior and attitude can change overnight. You need to take small steps at a time and continue to challenge yourself. If you notice your self-esteem is slipping, then you know it is time to make a change. Take charge and be proud of who you are.
Raising your self-esteem and building your confidence to take a lot more than just one or two weeks. It takes consistent effort over many years. You need to be willing to make the changes that will have a lasting effect on your life. Keep in mind that self-esteem is more about the state of your mind than it is about what you can physically feel. Over time your body will learn to be more confident, but you have to focus on how you feel emotionally and mentally.
Remember, it is easy to develop a false sense of confidence. All you need to do is to surround yourself with those who continually impress you. Those who boost your confidence will always be around you.
Take charge of your own mind and you will become the person you want to be. Your inner peace and level of happiness will increase as will your self-esteem. This makes for a happy life full of success and satisfaction.