Self Esteem?

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You’d think as an adult that I wouldnt still be dealing with self esteem issues, but I am.

I have to remind myself on a daily basis that:
"I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!" You know the old SNL Skit with Stuart Smalley.

Im reading Search for Significance - Seeing Your True Worth Through God’s Eyes by Robert S McGee & it is helping.

Im just curious if anyone else deals with this on a daily basis?

I used to run from the issue. Id find things that would temporarily help boost my self esteem, but these things dont last. Now Ive realized that I have a lot of work ahead of me. I wanted to run from it all these years, but now Im facing it.
 
Hi Kate(name removed by moderator),

I think we all struggle with these feeling to some extent, because all of us have a tendency to misplace or misidentify our self worth. Pope John Paul II often spoke of how our true dignity and worth comes from conforming ourselves to the image of Christ.

I’d like to share with you this quote from Cardinal Newman:
Every one who breathes,
high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old,
man and woman,
has a mission, has a work.

We are not sent into this world for nothing;
we are not born at random;
we are not here, that we may go to bed at night,
and get up in the morning, toil for our bread,
eat and drink,
laugh and joke,
sin when we have a mind,
and reform when we are tired of sinning,
rear a family and die.

God sees every one of us;
He creates every soul, He lodges it in the body, one by one,
for a purpose.
He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us.
He has an end for each of us;
we are all equal in His sight,
and we are placed in our different ranks and stations,
not to get what we can out of them for ourselves,
but to labour in them for Him.
As Christ has His work, we too have ours;
as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.
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(from Discourses to Mixed Congregations, Discourse 6*)*
God Bless,
VC
 
Thank you for posting that quote! It is so true, isnt it?

Im just so darn sensitive that little things seem to knock me down. I become paralyzed by negative remarks even if they are meant to encourage. My self esteem really goes down if I am around other women who are thinner, more sucessful, more outgoing,etc…

Deep down I know Im my own worst enemy & I do feel I have the tools to change. I guess Ive just been this way so long I dont know how to let go of this old baggage…

Thanks again for your encouraging words.
 
Just remember that you are a child of God. He created you, unique and different from any of the billions of people created before you. He knows every hair on your head; He knows your every thought. He will never stop loving you.

And even if you were the only person on earth, He would have sent His son to suffer and die FOR YOU so that you could live with Him forever in heaven!

You have a unique purpose on this earth. You have a mission here that only you can fulfil. And God has promised to help you through everything you go through in this life.

It is our spiritual enemy who tries to bring us down and make us feel so impure that we are afraid to approach God. Even though we are not worthy to receive all Our Lord offers us, He gives it to us freely because He loves us.

I have a chronic illness. Through this experience, I have read a lot about redemptive suffering and offering our crosses to God, uniting our little sufferings to that of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. I began writing about it and speaking about it, teaching others of this great gift.

Yet sometimes when I am right in the middle of the worst of it, I hear these voices inside my head saying “Who do you think you are? You talk to others about offering their sufferings, yet you are bitter about your own. You hypocrite!”

I spoke with my priest about this, and he told me that these type of voices that try to bring us down and criticize us NEVER come from God! It was the devil trying to bring me down.

So I began saying the St. Michael the archangel prayer to defend me from the devil. Do you know the prayer? If not, I’ll post it for you.
 
I dont know St. Michael the archangel prayer. If you could post it that would be wonderful!

Thank you for sharing your story with me. This forum is wonderful. Lots of encouragment here!

Thank you
 
Kate(name removed by moderator),

I’m going to field this one, because Didi is offline right now, and the sooner you know the prayer the better!

see: ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/michael.htm

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen…
 
I don’t want to trivialize a struggle with self-esteem issues, but C.S. Lewis had an observation that puts it in perspective.

Very seldom if ever, he observed, does our own assessment of ourselves matter to anyone, or anything, else.

Lewis, of course, knew full well the source of the worth we truly have – God Himself became man, and died on a cross for us.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
I suggest a book called “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell.
It is really helpful in this area, actually my husband was greatly helped because of this book, he is a pretty confident person, a year and a half ago he was really struggling but one of the things that helped was reading some of that book.
 
Gerry:
Gerry Hunter:
Very seldom if ever, he observed, does our own assessment of ourselves matter to anyone, or anything, else.
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I couldnt agree with CS Lewis more! That is a lesson to be learned isnt it! I love it!

Verbum Caro – Thank you for that link! I feel that is going to be very helpful!

**hgracet - **Thanks for the book recommendation!
 
“Psycho-Cybernetics” Isn’t that New Age stuff?

I would say the St. Michael prayer.

I struggle with those issues too. A quote that I heard from a priest’s homily puts this issue in another perspective.

“God Esteem is the Blood Stream for Self-Esteem”

I hope this helps.
 
As someone posted, we all struggle to some extent. Personally, I think self esteem comes from doing what we know is right. All this business about passing kids rather than failing them, using purple markers rather than red is nonsense. It’s as if self esteem in and of itself is a goal. It’s a by product of how we choose to act and live. —KCT
 
kate(name removed by moderator):
You’d think as an adult that I wouldnt still be dealing with self esteem issues, but I am…I’m just curious if anyone else deals with this on a daily basis?
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If our thoughts could be projected like cartoon bubbles over our heads as we muddle through our day, I think far too many would be harsh, critical and self-destructive.

When I get bogged down in this rut, I look to the gift of my kids and think (even if I’m not being the greatest mom that day) if God trusted me enough to send these amazing little beings to me to raise and nurture, he must have had confidence that I could do it–knowing that in the process He would bless me with the strength, wisdom, courage and patience I need. It is humbling and uplifting at the same time and the kids are a daily reminder and reflection of His love for me.
 
Im just curious if anyone else deals with this on a daily basis?
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I have an extremely low self esteem, I hate having to do anything infront of a class, I always feel like everyone is judging me, I also dislike having to do anything conspicuous near people who do not know me, (conspicuos as in not the norm for most). I cannot handle people making comments about me, even if they are supposed to be nice, I feel like another piece of my own intelligence and ability has been stolen.
He will never stop loving you.
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I do try this one and it does help, remember, Jesus loves youy no matter what, and that is the only thing that is important on this earth!
 
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Libero:
I have an extremely low self esteem, I hate having to do anything infront of a class, I always feel like everyone is judging me, I also dislike having to do anything conspicuous near people who do not know me, I cannot handle people making comments about me, even if they are supposed to be nice, I feel like another piece of my own intelligence and ability has been stolen.
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Just curious . . . how much do you think is low self esteem and how much might be your personality/ temperament? Not everyone likes crowds or being in the spotlight. I don’t like crowds and would almost always choose staying home to read a book over going to a party or get together. Nothing to do with self esteem . . . I’m not an extrovert and don’t care to be one!

Have you ever read about temperaments? Personality Plus by Florence Littauer is good. There’s a new Catholic book out called the Temperament God Gave You by Art and Larraine Bennett (he’s a counselor). Good stuff.

—KCT
 
Just curious . . . how much do you think is low self esteem and how much might be your personality/ temperament? Not everyone likes crowds or being in the spotlight. I don’t like crowds and would almost always choose staying home to read a book over going to a party or get together. Nothing to do with self esteem . . . I’m not an extrovert and don’t care to be one!
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I don’t mid crowds, and like to go out with friends, there are however probably lapses where I will appear not to be low in self esteem, generally I hate being thrown into a spotlight; however I don’t mid when people have chosen to be there and listen to me (if I have to do a speech for example) I don’t mind when I know that people care for what I have to say. Generally speaking I would say that I would rather go out -with friends- than stay at home however I tend to try and avoid partys. I have never really considered reading up on the topic though.
 
Start here:

God knew you before you were - He calls you by name - You are His special creation.

What is your status in God’s eyes, not man’s. Are you as worthy to get to heaven as anyone else. Surely. Are you on that journey?

What is your purpose here on earth?

From the Baltimore Catechism:

God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.

God did not abandon man after he fell into sin, but promised him a Redeemer, who was to satisfy for man’s sin and reopen to him the gates of heaven.

Q. Why did Christ suffer and die?
A. Christ suffered and died for our sins

Q. Of which must we take more care, our soul or our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body.

Q. Why must we take more care of our soul than of our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body, because in losing our soul we lose God and everlasting happiness.

If you journey toward the cross everything falls into place.
 
kate(name removed by moderator):
You’d think as an adult that I wouldnt still be dealing with self esteem issues, but I am.

I have to remind myself on a daily basis that:
**“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!”**You know the old SNL Skit with Stuart Smalley.

Im reading Search for Significance - Seeing Your True Worth Through God’s Eyes by Robert S McGee & it is helping.

Im just curious if anyone else deals with this on a daily basis?

I used to run from the issue. Id find things that would temporarily help boost my self esteem, but these things dont last. Now Ive realized that I have a lot of work ahead of me. I wanted to run from it all these years, but now Im facing it.
Click to expand...
Let me remind you today:

Kate(name removed by moderator),
You are good enough! You are BETTER than good enough!
You are very smart! Everyone who knows you likes you… (and those that don’t - who cares… it’s their loss because YOU are such a neat person!)

OK, so maybe that isn’t enough to totally boost your self esteem… but did it make you smile just a bit?? I hope so. 👋

CM
 
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