How often have you listened to that inner voice within you – a word of praise “aren’t you special!’, a positive reinforcement about yourself ‘go for it, you can do it!‘, or even an outright discouragement ‘you are just not worth it!’. This is your self-esteem speaking. Self-esteem is one’s appraisal of one’s worth. Self-esteem is an index of the amount of confidence and satisfaction you have in yourself. Self esteem is the collection of beliefs we have about ourselves.

This voice speaks in two ways – it can be positive and reassuring for some – for those who have a high self-esteem. At the same time, for those with a low self-esteem, this inner voice constantly criticizes, pulls them down, and negates their achievements.

The characteristics of a low self-esteem individual are all too evident, degrees, of course may vary – non-risk taker; looks for approvals externally; fears rejection; insecure, anxious, nervous with others; irrational beliefs.

So often we care about the image of ourselves that people ‘see’—the designer clothes, the cool ride, the house in the ‘right’ neighborhood. But what about the aspects of our image that others don’t get to see? The food we eat, the time we take to care for ourselves, the insides of our homes? If people saw our bedrooms, or our closets—those rooms that only those closest to us ever get access to—what would they think? Would they see an extension of you or something completely different? Something that diminishes your self image?

Start your day out right by giving your self-esteem a bit of a boost. Begin each day by following these important self-esteem starters:

• Play some lively (or relaxing) music to get you in the right mood for the day.
• Smile! It’ll make you feel better and look more appealing and attractive to those around you.
• Give Compliments – to yourself and those around you. When you make someone else feel better, you’re likely to feel better too.
• Show some spontaneous affection to your spouse, your kids, even your pet. It’s a great mood enhancer and getting a kiss and hug back can really make you feel good about yourself.
• Dress for success. Nothing makes you feel like you can conquer the day more than dressing in a way that commands respect and admiration. If you feel like you deserve to wear that power suit, the odds are you’ll have the confidence to use that power to your advantage.