Ten-year-old Anita had just moved to Manchester with her family. Her dad’s new job brought them here, and soon Anita was enrolled in a new school. She quickly noticed that most people around her, at school and in their neighborhood, had fair skin. Anita, like her family, had a dusky complexion. She often wondered why she looked so different. These thoughts made her feel like she didn’t fit in, and she started to pull away from others.
One afternoon, Anita saw a man selling bright, colorful balloons on the street outside her house. There were balloons of every color imaginable, even a black one. Children eagerly bought balloons of all shades — all except the black one! They laughed and played with their new toys, then watched with delight as the balloons floated up into the sky.
Curious why no one chose the black balloon, Anita walked over to the seller. “Will the black balloon go up in the air?” she asked softly.
The balloon seller smiled kindly at the little girl. Without saying a word, he gently untied the black balloon and released it. Anita watched in awe as it soared higher and higher, clapping her hands with pure joy.
The balloon seller looked at Anita and said, “The balloon doesn’t go up because of how it looks, but because of what is inside it.”
Without realising, Anita had slowly begun to fall victim to low self-esteem.
How many of you fall prey to comparing yourself with others and, in turn, become victims of low self-esteem?
Here Are 10 Simple Tips to Enhance Your Self-Esteem
- Be kind to yourself: Don’t curse yourself for making a mistake. Acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them, don’t keep thinking about them, move forward with determination with the learning you’ve got.
- Challenge your Negative Thoughts: You must have noticed that whenever you are not doing anything, your mind is vacant, and you start thinking, you engage in self-talk. What are you saying to yourself? Are you a critic or an appreciator? When you catch yourself in negative self-talk, such as “I’m not good enough,” “I always mess up,” question their validity. Are they true, or just old, deep-rooted thoughts of the past? Try to reframe them more positively or realistically. Appreciate every small win, you will be surprised that there are so many!
- Focus on Your Strengths: Think about your strengths, what are you good at? Remember all those things you did well in the past, big or small. Use your strengths, and that will give you the positive push you need.
- Set Goals and Work on Them: Take a small, attainable goal, work for it, accomplish it, and derive the confidence to work on bigger goals. Celebrate every win, big or small.
- Participate in Some Physical Activities: Engaging in physical activities like playing a game of badminton or any such game or just going for a walk. It will help you connect with people and make you feel good and energetic. This boosts your mood as a sedentary life makes you dull.
- Take Care of Your Health and Wellbeing: Eat nutritious food and on time, Exercise, and Sleep well. A good sleep helps you relax. When you feel good physically, it will make you feel better emotionally.Â
- Learn to Say No: Set boundaries on what you can allow others to intrude in your life. Don’t overcommit to things that you don’t want to do, especially those that do not align with your values.
- Be Positive: Spend time with people who inspire you to do better. Try to keep away from those who are always critical of you. If you are amidst people who are negative in their thinking, respond with a smile and a positive word. Find something good in everyone.
- Be Grateful: Be grateful for what you have and not keep thinking about what you don’t have. Appreciating what you have can greatly help you to feel good. Be in the present, let go of the past, as it cannot be undone.
- Be Helpful: Engaging in doing acts of kindness can be very uplifting. It will give you the joy of contributing to someone else’s well-being. You will have a sense of purpose, and this will make you feel empowered.
The colour of your skin, your height, and your weight don’t matter. It is what you learn, how much confidence you have in yourself, and how much you are willing to strive hard is all that matters.
Believe In Yourself and You Will Rise and Shine!
