One of America’s funniest comedians, Katt Williams, has an interesting way of defining high self-esteem. For the purposes of the PGA guidelines that we are imposing on this article, we can’t quite use his language. But to paraphrase, he’s of the opinion that no one has control of your esteem, other than YOU!
And the experts do agree because their high self-esteem definition is the “overall opinion you have of YOURSELF!” Self-esteem requires that you recognize your abilities and limitations, and feel good about everything about you. But the reality is that many people, including high achievers, continue to grapple with issues of self-esteem.
Importance of High Self-Esteem
We begin to develop self-esteem from an early age. The influences in life will continue to shape how we view ourselves. It could be about how other people relate with us, what social experiences we have, status in society, and the media, among others.
There are many benefits of high self-esteem, but it is vital to get the right balance. That’s why you’ll hear terms like low and high self-esteem. People with low self-esteem can be tiresome to be around because everything about them is negative. Think of that colleague or friend who never says anything positive about themselves.
Let’s look at the benefits of self-esteem in a little more detail below.
1. Ability to Form Better Relations with other People
An individual with high self-esteem has no time for negativity. They exude positivity in everything they do and immediately draw people in. They’re able to form and keep very strong relationships with others.
2. Can do Attitude
Have you ever met people who do not seem to know the meaning of the word impossible? To them, such a thing does not exist, because they can overcome every challenge; or at least try. Such people are a wonderful resource in the workplace, and they’re great leaders and mentors.
3. Resilience
You may be wondering; how can good self-esteem help you through difficult situations? Well, people with healthy esteem seem to bounce back from whatever life throws at them. While you may get the urge to lock self in a room and cry the whole day, they’ve no time for self-pity.
They have an “it has happened can we move on” mentality.
4. Contentment with Life
There’s a video doing rounds on Facebook about a rich man who gives a street vendor some money. The vendor is obviously in need of the money but declines the offering. He tells the potential benefactor to give the money to someone who needs it more.
Now, that’s what we call contentment with life! Probably where the proverbial ‘if life gives you a lemon make lemonade’ phrase came from — the perfect example of high esteem.
5. Inspiration to Others
If you’re lucky, you have that one friend who you always call when you’re down — Nope, not the one who’ll buy you drinks till morning. Rather, the one who’ll listen to you and make you laugh at your problems? Maybe you’re that friend to someone else.
Such an individual is an inspiration to other people. They make great friends, inspire great confidence, and are the best kind of people to be around. You know that employee who always has colleagues hanging around him or her; such a person would be a great mediator in case your organization is going through staff problems.
A boss with high esteem will inspire the team to succeed, and staff members will look up to him or her for motivation.
6. Lower Stress Levels
Due to the ability of an individual with high esteem to take situations as they present, they rarely have time to brood over issues. They will, therefore, not suffer from high-stress levels, because they know they have the inherent ability to overcome anything.
7. Better Health
Ulcers, high blood pressure, indigestion, insomnia, etc., are just some of the things that people with low self-esteem suffer from. Those with high esteem generally have better health because they’re able to take care of themselves well. They know the importance of eating well, sleeping well, exercising, etc.
For an employer, you don’t have to contend with never-ending requests for sick-offs from such an individual.
8. Easily Adaptable
An individual with high esteem doesn’t fret about trying to fit in with other people. They will not enter into arguments about what they believe. Such an individual is comfortable in peaceful settings, and that’s why they find it easy to adapt to different situations.
9. High Achievers
Those with high self-esteem are highly critical of their strengths and weaknesses. They’re, therefore, more likely to be successful in whatever they undertake. They don’t second-guess themselves; neither do they seek opinions from other people which could hold them back.
They’re also able to respect other people because they realize that every individual is unique.
10. They Live Their Lives To The Fullest
Do you know that friend or family member who has no problem backpacking across the country, with next to nothing in the pocket? Or that individual who’ll quit a well-paying job to pursue other interests in life; because life is not all about money? High esteem allows an individual to live and enjoy life.
They have no time for naysayers, and have no qualms about taking risks and grabbing every opportunity. Such an individual can be pure gold to an organization because nothing holds them back.
Are You Ready to Work on Yourself?
Having high self-esteem requires that you have self-awareness so that you live well with other people. There’s a difference between self-esteem and arrogance, so be careful to maintain a balance. At the workplace, work towards encouraging and inspiring other people.
The same goes for personal relationships, interact with other people well. Realize that people are different and everyone deserves respect. As a business owner or boss, your team will look up to you for inspiration and motivation.
You can get in touch with us for more information on how to be a wholesome individual who gets along well with everyone. We’ll teach you how to foster a higher level of esteem to get you to succeed in everything you do. We also welcome your feedback on our article topic, we would be happy to hear how you cope with esteem issues.