How To Stop Putting Everyone Else First - Don't put others before yourself
Do you have trouble saying no to others? Do you feel like you have to do everything you are asked, so you don’t make anyone mad at you? Are you tired of feeling like you are a doormat? If you keep putting everyone else before yourself, you are going to end up burned out and worn up way before your time. Here are some tips for putting yourself first for a change.
How often do you put yourself first?
Improve your self-esteem
The first thing you have to do is work on your self-esteem. If you are allowing others to come before you in an unhealthy manner, more than likely you suffer from poor self-esteem. You probably feel like they deserve your time and attention more than you do. Or maybe you feel like they are better than you, for whatever reason. These are signs that you need to boost your self-esteem.
Stop using others for your measuring stick
Do you tend to measure yourself against others? And when you do this, do you always seem to feel like you are well below them? These feelings are, again, indicative of low self-esteem. Stop measuring yourself against others. You are a unique individual, and cannot be assessed by others’ accomplishments or endeavors.
Learn something
If you have trouble relating to other people without feeling inferior to them, try asking yourself what you can learn from them. What is it about that person that makes you want to do things for them, or become more like them? If this is something that would make a positive impact on your life, then try emulating that. Be cautious, though, not to try to become just like everyone you meet. You don’t want to be a carbon copy of everyone else—you should be YOU.
Be proud of yourself
The most important thing is to learn how to be proud of yourself. Speak up for yourself. Show off and use your talents as often as you can. There is nobody like you. This world needs you in it. Be proud of who you are.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2009 Hope Wilbanks