Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.
Changing ideas is a strain not to be lightly incurred, particularly when these ideas are intimately related to one's self-esteem. . . men have elaborated an explanation for their situation in life. . . Their rationales are endowed with moral qualities.
But inwardly we are as corrupt as the person who sits in an office and plans war-because, we want to be somebody in the family, in a group, in society, in the nation.
We get off track. Capitalism takes us off track. You get off the "real" and get on the "wheel. " The "wheel" becomes the winning and losing, the succeeding and failing, the "I will achieve. " All that stuff becomes so preoccupying, particularly if you're born with low self-esteem, or no sense of yourself, or even if you're just born in the consumer culture. It's very powerful.
At the root of fear is low self-esteem. This explains why angry people have low self-esteem, are argumentative, stubborn, and quick to flare up yet slow to forgive. Those behaviors are defenses against the underlying fear.
If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself.
Cruel words erode the self-esteem like the ocean eats away the shore.
I like storytelling. We all have an active thing that we do that gives us self-esteem, that makes us proud; it's necessary. I have to tell stories because that's the way the wiring went in.
The abused children are alone with their suffering, not only within the family, but also within themselves. They cannot crate a place in their own soul where they could cry their beart out.
Think positively about yourself. . . . ask God who made you to keep on remaking you.
The spiritual life is part of the human essence. It is a defining characteristic of human nature, without which human nature is not fully human.
Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self esteem. That means, 'I feel so low that instead of picking myself up, I have to cut others down. ' Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.
Our greatest foes, and whom we must chiefly combat, are within.
Talking about your hair becomes a framework for talking about your vanity, your self-esteem, your relationships with your family, your mortality.
The person we believe ourselves to be will always act in a manner consistent with our self-image.
I think the biggest difference is that I've noticed Western parents seem much more concerned about their children's psyches, their self-esteem, whereas tough immigrant parents assume strength rather than fragility in their children and therefore behave completely differently.
You too are a work of art.
I think that giving mindless praise is ridiculous. But I understand why parents do it. They want their kids to feel good about themselves. But parents are never going to teach their children true, positive self esteem by praising everything they do.
Most of our stress and suffering come not from events, but from our thoughts. Reframe from negative thoughts, and stress subsides.
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine.