Susan C. Young

What we often forget is that most everyone else has dealt with the same struggles and uncertainties. You get to pick your response when this doubt creeps in. Will you allow it to undermine your confidence, or instead, choose to look at it objectively?

Notice what your inner critic is saying, and issue a cease and desist! Regain control. Resist, and refuse to listen.

Demoralizing self-talk leads to a self-destructive mindset, making everything in life more difficult. Not only that, how you feel about yourself oozes out of your pores and makes a bad impression on others.

Being healthy, balanced, and positive is key to making a positive first impression. How you feel about yourself sets the tone for how other people feel about you too.

It is hard to earn the respect of others when you do not respect yourself. Others may find it difficult to enjoy your company if you do not enjoy your own.

Be mindful to love and appreciate yourself and become your own champion. This healthy and loving relationship will be felt when people meet you.

Focusing your energy on the things you don__ like about yourself is self-sabotage and defeating. When you re-direct all that energy into a more positive direction, you will feel the shift instantly to improve your self-esteem and attitude.

Take deliberate steps to retrain your brain and turn your inner critic into an enthusiastic, devoted fan.

The voice of the inner critic is mean, unforgiving, punishing, and downright hurtful. When you allow it to run roughshod over your happiness and emotional well-being, it can wreak havoc on your peace of mind and leave you feeling anxious, fearful, and depleted.

It is human nature for self-doubt to occasionally creep in and take up residence. It happens to even the most successful people among us.

Wouldn__ you rather have the respect of your friends and colleagues than succumb to pressure to do and say things that are out of character in order to feel accepted? You can overcome this habit simply by learning to say __o.

We all can give in to our inner critic. I don__ know about you, but I would never allow anyone to speak to me the way I speak to myself! I wouldn__ be their friend!

I can . . . I can't. How do you speak to yourself? Do you ever feel as though you have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? And they continually argue over your self-worth, competence, and personal value? Which one usually wins the debate?

Healthy self-esteem is a commanding and powerful influence, so isn__ it worth diving in deeper to ensure that you do everything possible to make your sense of self healthy, beneficial, and whole?

Your healthy self-esteem is one of the most significant and powerful drivers in your life. It drives your perceptions, attitudes, opinions, relationships, communications, and your decisions.

Popularity does not equal respect. It is not only kids who will do what they think they must to fit in and be popular__dults do it too.

When you have a healthy self-esteem, qualities such as likeability, confidence, trustworthiness, compassion, sense of humor, empathy, and optimism all serve to make you more interesting and successful. But unfortunately, we sometimes get in our own way . . .

Living in integrity with one__ principles that are held in high regard engenders respect__oth from others and self.