Self Esteem

How you view yourself is important. However, There's a difference between having a high opinion of yourself and being cocky. To me, self esteem is essentially what we think of, and how we choose to view ourselves. Throughout my life, largely due to my major depressive disorder, I've often gone long periods of time with a very low opinion of myself. I've often allowed myself to succumb to my own insecurities and have been hyper critical of myself. I'm well aware that that's not a healthy way to go through life, but at many times it's something that is out of my control. Lately, however, my self esteem has been on an up tick, due to the extensive psychiatric care that I've been receiving. Slowly but surely, I'm learning how to love myself again and how to move my thinking away from the hyper critical kind that brought me to such a low point a few weeks ago. You only have one life, so it's important to learn how to love it and find fulfilment in it. Gradually I'm getting there, but I've still got a long way to go. I'm battling with my own inner demons which are constantly telling me to doubt and talk down to myself, and the tide is gradually turning. Learning to love yourself is a process, it's a journey that we are all on every day of our lives and it is absolutely crucial if you truly want to get the fullest experience out of the life that you have been given. I clearly understand this, but, as I mentioned before, I struggle with practicing what I preach due to my psychological condition. Working on your self esteem is an every day battle, I know that all too well, but I'm fighting it the best I can and that's what matters most. I know one day I'll learn to love myself again, and while I'm not there yet, I'm taking the steps I need to take in order to make that goal a reality.