How To Do Life Nugget:
Self esteem cracks when you need it most. Focus on building soul esteem and realize inner strength and peace that will fortify you and hold up when you need it most.
SELF esteem is identifying your worth with things "out there" in the world. If you have the newest style, the latest technology, the coolest bike or car you may be seen as being "in". As a result, reasoning follows, you will feel good about yourself. Further, if you are cheerleader, science club leader, sports star or student council member, you could be respected by others and you might feel even better about your-SELF. All these things are good. No doubt it takes talent, hard work and social skills to achieve them; however, if any one of these thing goes away, then it is easy to feel "less than" before. Why? External things can change in a flash--positions, groups, fashion, trends and friends.
A teacher, I observed a shy, sweet girl who sat in the back of the room during third period class. She rarely said anything unless asked; she ate by herself; and walked to and from classes alone. She yearned to belong and "fit in". Eventually, a group adopted her into their fold. She changed the way she wore her hair, her clothes and her attitude. She became just like them. One day, she got into an argument with one of the leaders in that group. The group disowned her. Her "self" esteem cracked and Emotional Poverty followed because she had invested her feelings of worth and her identity into their bank account, into pleasing them for acceptance. She wondered, if I am not one of them, who am I?
SOUL esteem is identifying your worth with the Divine, unchanging and absolute, choosing actions that bring together versus separate and divide and expressing soul qualities that have staying power. Divine's "In-Group" won't abandon you; you must abandon it by putting your faith and focus in outer things. Consider which focus will serve you best in staying UP and gaining inner peace:
SELF or SOUL-Conscious Focus?
Fear or Love ?
Competition or Compassion ?
Grudges/gripes or Forgiveness ?
Comparison to others or Using Divine as your Standard ?
Taking for granted or Gratitude ?
Being right or Open to differences ?
Forcing or Letting Flow?
Lukewarmness or Joy ?
Ask Nana a question: http://dear-nana-says-column.blogspot.com
