Self-Esteem -- How to Turn I'm Not Good Enough, into I'm Un-Stoppable

Do you ever worry that you're not good enough, not smart enough, or you simply don't have what it takes? Do you ever worry that this is keeping you from achieving the things you want most in your life?nnAccording to a recent report by the Priory Group, entitled I'm Not Good Enough, millions of British women suffer from low self-esteem, which in turn adversely influences their mental health, relationships, work, and overall quality of life.nnHow many of these statements apply to you?nn

1. I don't think I'm good enough to get the things I want.nn2. Sometimes I feel worthless.nn3. My needs don't seem to matter to other people.nn4. I worry about what other people think of me.nn5. Now and then, it seems like there's something wrong with me.nn6. I have to do everything myself. It's like I'm all alone.nn7. I'm powerless (weak, not safe, helpless). nn8. At times I can't take care of myself in challenging situations.n n9. I have no choice because...nn10. I'm unlovable (unworthy)

nnnIf more than one of these statements rings true to you, you're not alone. These limiting beliefs are one result of how we interpret unpleasant experiences from our past. However, that's not the only way we come to believe that these statements are true.nnHave you ever heard someone say that one of these statements was true about you? Even though that doesn't make any of these statements "THE TRUTH", the impact of believing such a statement can have serious consequences on our self-esteem.nnOn the other hand, people's self-esteem has never improved just because people made positive statements about them. In fact, many who work in the field now agree that self-esteem fans tend to go overboard when they recommended that children should be praised to make them feel good, regardless of their effort or motivation. nnThese people seem to focus on self-esteem as a goal, rather than a by-product of one's confidence in their ability to achieve what they want for themselves. Some people describe this as "competent behavior", which is just another way of saying that your actions produce the results you want.nnSo how can we learn to build self-esteem, if self-esteem (or self-worth) is just a byproduct of self-confidence? The shortest path to building your sense of confidence, is to experience your actions producing the results that you want. nnUnfortunately, each limiting belief that we have adopted along the way becomes an obstacle. They prevent us from investing the time and energy it takes to develop enough competency in our skills to achieve the level of confidence we need to produce the self-esteem that we desire.nnThe first step down the path of raising confidence consists of transforming these limiting beliefs that prevent us from developing new skills or honing the ones we have already developed. Sound impossible? Actually, transforming these beliefs may actually be easier than it seems.nnTo transform limiting beliefs you start by putting out the painful fire of your judgments. What are we taught to do when faced with fire? We're told to Stop, Drop and Roll. How does the Stop, Drop and Roll method apply to the transformation of our limiting beliefs? Stop and listen to the warning signals -- Drop the judgments -- Roll out a new plan. nnnStopnStart with of the practice of being aware of how you feel. Use any feelings of discomfort as a warning bell. When you feel uncomfortable in any way, stop what you're doing and identify the judgmental thoughts in your head. Write them down while you're thinking of them or as soon as you can get to a pen and paper.nnDropnThe only way to drop your judgments is to start translating them into the truth of what's important to you. Once you identify the uncomfortable judgmental thoughts, it's time to figure out the values you hold dear that are buried within those judgments. nnFor example, "I'm not good enough to get the things I want" might be translated into the important values of accomplishment, effectiveness or even a deep desire to contribute. Now try saying that to yourself, "I deeply value accomplishment." Can you feel the difference?nnRollnOnce the painful fire is out and you are clear about what's most important to you, it's time to roll out a new plan. Identify at least two actions you can take that will support you in creating the things that you value.