The issue of self esteem rears its ugly head long before people reach senior status. An astounding number of people grow up feeling that they will never be quite good enough to make a mark in the world. People who are psychologically stronger perceive this as a challenge and are able to break out of that mindset. However, the rest of us go through life wishing that we had more self confidence. Confidence to do certain things, achieve certain goals, to speak up and be more visible. These are emotions that thousands of people feel every day.
From childhood on, too many people grow up believing that they need the approval of others (external factors) to determine how they feel about themselves. Your level of self esteem truly impacts every aspect of your life and it is something that has to start on the inside and work its way out. Wisdom is something that comes with age, but unfortunately confidence is not. You can be strong and you can fight back. You are not your parents. It is not too late to give your confidence a boost. Vowing to be strong and independent is something that you can do to give yourself a lift.
Camille Noe Pagan (Arthritis Today: May/June 2011) writes that self confidence can flag as you get older and she discussed ways to rebuild it. Studies show that self esteem declines around the age of retirement and people with health problems have lower self esteem than others. Chronic illnesses tend to impact how you feel about yourself. . If you are not working or caring for family members, you may feel as though you aren’t needed any more.
The author recommends getting out of your comfort zone and focusing more on pleasing yourself instead of worrying about what others think about you. Focus on what you can do and do your tasks to the best of your ability. You don’t always have to be perfect in order to make an impact. Much of the way you feel about yourself is the result of childhood experiences that have been reinforced as you got older. If you were taught that you had to be perfect it isn’t surprising that a hint of failure made you feel less of a person. Take care of yourself first, feel good about everything thing that you do and take your talent, whatever it might be, and let it shine. There are so many groups that would welcome your expertise whatever it might be. Social contact and physical activities will make a positive difference in how you see yourself.
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