Are Self-Esteem Issues Holding You Back?

Have you given any thought to the possibility that self-esteem issues may have prevented you from creating a truly satisfying and productive life?  Even if you are relatively happy with your life as it is now, know that a boost in self-esteem can make it dramatically more enjoyable and meaningful!

It is not uncommon to have self-esteem issues undermining our efforts in subtle ways that we are completely unaware of. Sometimes it’s the difference between making a bold career move or holding back, expressing our true feelings or remaining quiet. These could be indicators of deeper issues that are limiting us, and the quality of life we are experiencing.

Self esteem and hidden limiting beliefs

We may remember some period in life when we were feeling down but as far as we are concerned, we got over it. It’s natural and healthy to put unpleasant experiences in the past and move on. But when those experiences alter our beliefs about our value as a person, the beliefs will continue to affect us until they are addressed. These are often the foundation for self-esteem issues. Here’s an example:

A salesperson struggles with self-esteem issues on a subconscious level. His buried feelings of low self-worth stem back to his youth when he was routinely told that he was stupid and would not amount to anything.

Now as a capable adult, he may still feel personally rejected and become despondent because of missing a sale. So on every call, instead of excitement over a possible new business relationship, there is a feeling of fear and the anticipation of failure. And this poor person can’t figure out why.

The influence of pain and pleasure on self esteem

We all have thousands of unconscious established response patterns like these, some are empowering and some are limiting. Without our being aware of it, these patterns exert a huge influence on our thoughts, emotions and actions.

Keep in mind that everything we do or avoid doing is motivated by pain or pleasure.  We are either moving toward pleasure, away from pain or both. When we learn how to control which beliefs will be anchored in pain and which beliefs will be anchored in pleasure, we unlock the door to a healthy and empowering sense of Self-Esteem.