Conquer Low Self-Esteem

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

Far better indeed! When we were children we soared. Do you remember? We knew no limits, and the future was unlimited because we had not experienced defeat. We had not been knocked down, and so we saw each day as an opportunity to enjoy and excel. Do you remember?

Then the first adversity came, and then another, and another, and our cloak of invincibility wore thin, and worse yet we began to believe in limits, and with that belief there came hesitancy. No longer did we head off on adventure without first weighing the possible pratfalls. We became….tentative!

“If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”~Vincent Van Gogh

Once tentativeness enters the picture, it is a very short journey to inaction, and at that point we have traded in those wings and become a mere mortal, trudging along, watching our footsteps, rather than reveling in the feel of the clouds upon our wings.

Where are you on this journey? Are you one who has taken your hits and now find it hard to rise above mediocrity? Perhaps mediocrity has become a safe harbor where you no longer have to experience the pain of failure. Unfortunately, in protecting oneself from failure, one also relinquishes the key to self-esteem, and then it is indeed a slow slide downhill.

It is high-time you strap on those wings, don’t you think? Your place is among the eagles, for we were not put on this earth to wallow in the mundane. We were given a higher purpose, and from this day forward let us aim our efforts towards that higher purpose.

I hear you say, “how can I; I am only one person among billions.” True, but what a person you are!

There are currently seven billion inhabitants on this planet. Since the beginning of time there have been approximately 107 billion who have lived. Stop and think about this for a second: there has never been anyone like you in the history of the world. Quite frankly, your value is off the charts; you are one of a kind, the rarest of the rare; don’t you think it is about time you acted like it?

107 billion people and only one you! Your DNA, your appearance, your mind, your reactions, your thoughts, all add up to the personification of uniqueness. There can be no price tag attached to you because you are priceless.

And yet your wings have been clipped; you look around and ponder the hardships, cringe at the obstacles, and think you are powerless. You hear the words of detractors, those who would tell you that you cannot do something, and you believe them.

You are unique! When you were a child you believed this. You experienced the wonder of life and firmly believed that mountains were made to be moved…by you! Do you remember?

It is time to move mountains once again! You are unique! Act like it!

Look at you! Look in the mirror! What do you see? Do you see that special person with unlimited potential, or do you see wasted opportunities and self-loathing?

You are not without assets! You have a mind, a personality, a body and a heart. You have free will, and you are surrounded by opportunities. You are not a leaf blown by the winds of fate but rather a free spirit who is capable of making change by flapping your wings.

Look again in the mirror! Set aside the crippling self-doubt and see yourself as you truly are, a boundless source of energy which, when unleashed, can light up this world.

Make a list right now! Right this very second! Take out a piece of paper and write down your personal assets. I am not talking about money or other possessions; I want to know what you have inside of you; I want to know what makes you unique.

Now look at the list and repeat after me: I CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS AND FLY WITH THE EAGLES!

What do you want to do? Remember, we are talking about changing your life, so what will that new life look like?

Are you a son or daughter, husband or wife? Are you an employee or employer, school teacher or lawyer? Are you an activist or team player, writer or artist? Do you play music from the gods or are you a machinist or clerk?

Whatever you are, be better! Go the extra mile and begin now! Be a better mother, father, daughter or son. Be a better employee, employer, school teacher or lawyer. Dazzle them as an activist, rock their word as a team player, write the next great novel or paint like the masters. Create music that will inspire or be the best damn machinist or clerk ever.

We are done with mediocrity! We are done walking with mere mortals when our rightful place is soaring above the mundane! Do not tell me that you cannot do it because I will tell you that you can and then push you out the door.

We are once again that child in the fields, watching the clouds slowly drift by as we contemplate a future that is ours to do with as we please. There are no limits…..THERE ARE NO LIMITS….to what we can do.

Do you remember?

I do not want to hear about your limitations! I do not want to hear about the restrictions and the hardships, the defeats and the fear. I do not want to hear the hundreds of reasons why you once thought you could not do something.

All I want to hear is the sound of your wings as you soar.

You are ready now! You now know that you are unique. You now know that the greatest obstacle in the past, namely the restricting of yourself, has been removed. Yes, you have things to overcome, but they are nothing when faced by the power you possess.

As you begin this new life, please remember that which is crucial as we all go about our lives. Remember this one thing as you begin your new journey with the eagles: do all things with love!

Love yourself! Treat yourself like that rarest of things, and give yourself the love that you deserve. The past is gone; whatever it was that made you look down upon yourself, it is now behind you. From this day forward you are forging a new life, and that life is fueled by a love for yourself.

Love others! We are not in this alone, and it is time for us to embrace each other and lend a hand to those who desperately need it. Be compassionate! Be generous! Be the loving human being that you were born to be!

Imagine if you will seven billion eagles flying free of restrictions; what a wondrous sight that would be.

Now, it is time….spread your wings, look up the heavens….and fly!

2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)