A Book That Changed Me

Mary Bronson Merki's "Glencoe Health: A Guide to Wellness" is an enlightening book. I especially loved reading what it said about self-esteem since that's one of the topics that spark my interest.

Self-esteem, the book said, is knowing, liking and accepting not what we have, whom we know or what we do, but who we are. So personal qualities matter more than looks and wealth.

People with good self-esteem recognize their value as human beings, take pleasure in everyday things, don't overestimate or underestimate their abilities, and don't consider themselves more or less important than others.

Those with low self-esteem may engage in people-pleasing behaviors, get their identity from external rather than internal sources, trust others' reactions more than their own and waste time defending themselves.

Happily, the book listed steps we can take to improve self-esteem. The steps sounded good to me but the ones I liked best were:

• Find something that you can enjoy doing and that gives you a feeling of success. Make time to do that activity regularly.
• Aim for improvement, not perfection.
• Build a network of supportive relationships.
• Accept mistakes and errors as learning tools rather than as signs of your failure.
• Reject any negative feedback from others that is intended to put you down.
• Whenever you look at your weaknesses, spend equal time considering your strengths.
• Give yourself credit for all accomplishments or improvements, even the smallest ones.
• Practice basic health habits, giving attention to your physical, mental and social health.
• Improve your mind - read a book, write a story.

Taking those steps has improved my self-esteem. As a result, I now enjoy my own company and relate with others well. I have also developed a strong sense of who I am and what I stand for.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story, you might also enjoy a book review of "Life's Little Instruction Book".