Wednesday, 21 June 2017

How to Feel Better About Yourself

How to Feel Good About Yourself

Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
- Judy Garland
Learn how to feel good about yourself. Live a joyful and stress-free life. Feel better about yourself. Love your life.
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Do you feel you are "not good enough," or just not feel good about yourself, and want to feel better about yourself?
Feeling "not good enough" is almost always the result of comparing yourself with some unrealistic ideal. Either you are responding to hostile criticism - probably from someone you are close to, such as a parent - or you are comparing yourself with other people or with your idealized image of what you "should" be.
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone.
- Bill Cosby

Who are you trying to please? A compulsion to please someone may be unconscious, but stop to consider the question for a moment. If you are trying to please someone who you first met as an adult, ask yourself what power they hold over you, and what is the worst that could happen if you lived your own life instead. Compare the momentary benefit of pleasing them with the lifelong freedom and good feeling of being your own person.
Are you still subconsciously trying to please your parents? If you ever imagine a parent's frown or stern reprimand when you do something or fail to do something, you are still subconsciously being your younger self trying to please your parents. If you ever feel that you are unworthy or inadequate in the eyes of your parents, concentrate on remembering that you are an adult now - responsible for your own goals and aspirations for your life, as well as your own thoughts, your own choices, and your own actions. You no longer have any obligation to accommodate your parents' desire to direct your life.
Comparisons are odious.
- Old English Saying

Who do you think you should be "as good as?" Perhaps you have this subconscious feeling about your next door neighbor, a friend, an in-law, a co-worker, or your boss. Be grateful that you are you. That person you are jealous of is probably jealous of you for something you have and they do not. There is no standard which you need to live up to except your own choice of life path and goals. Don't let comparison with someone else make you feel unworthy or inadequate.
Be Your Own Self
Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
- Judy Garland

Set your life purpose, establish your values, make your own choices, begin your own projects, allocate your time, energy, money, and emotional commitment as you choose. Don't waste your life by trying to imitate anyone else or by attempting to please everyone.
Focus on Your Inner Beauty
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you feel badly about your body image? True beauty is on the inside. Moreover, even physical beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If someone criticizes your physical appearance, spend less time with them, and choose to spend more time with those who appreciate you.
Be Generous, Kind, and Compassionate
The wise man does not lay up his own treasures.
The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.
- Lao Tzu

It is virtually impossible to feel good about yourself if you focus all your energies on yourself. To feel good about yourself, be kind and compassionate to others. Be of service to others. One of the many rewards of being of service to those less fortunate is to feel good about yourself.
Release All Anger, Resentments, and Hatred
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else;
you are the one who gets burned.
- The Buddha

You can't feel good about yourself while you are holding anger and resentment towards others. To feel better about yourself, choose to release all your anger and resentment. Yes, it is a choice - you can free yourself from anger and resentment by making the choice to forgive everyone for everything. Forget "justice," and especially forget revenge. Do this forgiving for your sake - not for theirs. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness so you can feel better about yourself.
Have No Regrets - Forgive Yourself
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
- Reinhold Niebuhr

To feel good about yourself, you must also forgive yourself for everything you have ever done or failed to do. Wipe the slate clean - erase all your regrets. Let today be a new beginning for the rest of your life.
Be Grateful for the Miracle of Being You
There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
- Albert Einstein

If you choose to focus your attention on what you don't have, you will be miserable. If you choose to focus your attention on what you do have, you will be happy and you will feel good about yourself.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
- Helen Keller (1880-1968) overcame being both deaf and blind to become a famous author and lecturer.

Consider adopting the practice of "zero-based gratitude." Be grateful for everything you have. Be grateful that you are alive. Be grateful that the sun rose this morning. Be grateful that you have food and shelter. Be grateful for the beauty of the world. Even if you are blind and homeless, you can find things for which to be grateful.
Care for Your Body
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
- Spanish Proverb

Your body doesn't have to meet anyone else's standards. Whatever your size and physical abilities, love yourself as you are. You will feel better about yourself if you care for your body as best you can. Eat healthy. Get enough sleep. Avoid stressful situations. Adopt daily healthful practices: take a daily walk, begin yoga, Qigong, or gentle stretching.
Care for Your Mind
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Anonymous

Think depressing thoughts and you will be unhappy - think positive thoughts and you will be happy. Especially avoid stressful thoughts. Stress is harmful to your mind and your body, as well as to your emotional state. Begin daily practices to support your mental and emotional health: inspirational reading, meditation, or Qigong.
Care for Your Spirit
Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

You will feel better about yourself if you see a purpose to your life beyond the present moment. Whether from a religious or philosophical perspective, look beyond today with optimism for your future and the future of humankind.
Trust Yourself
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

To feel good about yourself, you must trust yourself. Trust your purpose. Trust your goals. Trust your abilities. Trust your inherent worth as a person.

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