Self-Esteem

The phrase “self-esteem” assumes that we esteem ourselves. Why then do we think that it should come from others? If our esteem comes from others, it would be called “other-esteem.” The phrase “self-esteem” means that the esteem comes from the self.

Who Were We Before We Were Born?

Part of holding ourselves in high esteem is knowing who we have always been. We lived in heaven, with our heavenly Father before we came to earth. In heaven, we developed spiritually. We were noble spirits of heaven. We are still that person. We are still spiritual beings. Through our conversations with God, during times of peace and meditation, we can learn about who we are spiritually. We can hold that knowledge in esteem.

What Type of Person Do We Want to Be?

We must all decide what type of person we want to be. We must define what characteristics we want to have and what actions we want to portray. We cannot know if we should hold ourselves in high esteem, if we do not know what type of person we want to be. Jesus the Christ gave an example of what a perfect person is. If we so choose, we can hold His example up as a standard. Our standard and values can be held in esteem.

What Do Our Actions Portray?

We will never reach perfection in this lifetime. It isn’t possible. Our goal cannot be that we have reached perfection. Our goal can be that our actions portray the type of person that we want to be. Every time our actions portray the type of person that we want to be, we can be pleased with our actions and our growth. Our actions will change our character. Our character growth will change how we interact with ourselves and others. We will always reap the reward of changes to our character. The direction we are moving defines us. As we move in the direction of the person that we want to be, we can hold that in esteem.

Self-Esteem Has Nothing to Do with Other Validation

In heaven, we were constantly enveloped in the presence of our Father’s love. We continue to crave that feeling. We want to be loved. Sometimes we assume that people will love us, if we have developed ourselves into something of value. Just because we are valuable, does not mean that others will value us. Selfish people value people who will surrender themselves for their desires. Greedy people value people that create wealth for them. Attention seekers value people that give them attention. We can be valuable even when the value we hold is not sought after. When Jesus was on the earth, he was valuable, but not valued. He was the stone that the builders refused. We can decide that we are valuable when we learn about who were spiritually, develop a sense of values that we are pleased with, and recognize that our actions are portraying growth in the direction of our values.