2 Ways Low Self Esteem Hinders You

If you answer yes to any of these ten questions, you may be
a victim of low self-esteem...

1. Are you afraid to take risks?
2. Do you usually anticipate the worst in any given situation and fear the outcome?
3. Do you simply fear the unknown?
4. Do you worry so much about what others think of you that you
cannot perform?
5. Do you constantly wonder if other people are talking about you?
6. Do you seem to be more sensitive to negative feedback than other people are?
7. Do you fear criticism?
8. Is your life limited to a very small circle of people?
9. Are you happy and outgoing with your friends and family, but become quiet when people you don't know enter the picture?
10. Are you open and comfortable talking with your own gender, but become tongue-tied around the opposite sex?

In this article I will discuss two critical problems
associated with low self-esteem.

1. Low self-esteem limits your peace of mind, your personal
freedom, and your ability to express yourself fully!

Because your low self-esteem makes you want to avoid social
encounters your opportunity to build confidence is
sacrificed. The more social encounters you avoid, the better
you get at avoiding them! Therefore, you are actually
reinforcing your fear.

It's just like practicing to be a social retard - Soon you
become frozen in fear and completely unable to function in
normal social settings. This behavior is very frustrating
and can destroy your peace. The "you" you were born to be
is violated, and you cannot be your true, authentic self. By
not allowing yourself to experience new things, you are
perpetuating your fear, which lowers your self-esteem even
more.

But, these problems are about how they are affecting you!
What about how they are effecting other people?

2. Low self-esteem inhibits your ability to bless other
people!

When you are so worried about what other people think of
you, you become incapable of being a blessings. What's
happening is, your thoughts become inward, and you become
more preoccupied with what kind of impression you're making
to care much about them. It has become "All about you!"

Those who experience low self-esteem tend to be viewed as
unfriendly, standoffish, self-centered, arrogant, or even
rude! No one wants to be around someone like that. In
reality you are probably not really like that, but you may
as well be. Your impression on other people is still the
same.

How can you truly make a difference in someone else's life
if you can't forget about yourself for a moment and just
put yourself out there? The fact is you will never be
ultimately happy while low self-esteem is holding you back.

Conclusion

God loves you no matter what your opinion of yourself is.
You are "fearfully and wonderfully made," created by Him
who knew you while in your mother's womb! He has a special
plan just for you (Psalm 139:13-14). You are absolutely
unique with strengths and abilities that know one else has,
so don't sell yourself short by letting low self-esteem
rule you.

Monitor what you are allowing into your mind. Eliminate
those things that make you feel small, incomplete, or even
worthless. Soap operas, romance novels, scary movies, and
the worst of all... pornography! They are are all bad news
and can make your life a wreck!

Read the Book of John from the Bible regularly, plus some
other good books on self-esteem written by Christian
authors. Also, associate with people who have positive
self-esteem.

The bottom line is, what you allow into your mind and What
you intentionally put into it are directly linked to the
situations and circumstances you find yourself in!