The importance of Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. It’s how you see yourself and how you feel about your achievements. Self-esteem is not bragging about how great you are. It’s more like quietly knowing that you are worth a lot. It is not about thinking you’re perfect, because nobody is, but knowing that you’re worthy of being loved and accepted. Good self-esteem is important because it helps you to hold your head high and feel proud of yourself and what you can do. It gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. And when you respect yourself, adults and other kids usually respect you, too. Having good self-esteem is also the ticket to making good choices about your mind and body. If you think you’re important, you’ll be less likely to follow the crowd if your friends are doing something dumb or dangerous. When you listen to most of President Kagame’s speeches, then you know what I’m talking about! He is always telling me and you to know our worth! “Respect yourself, be proud of who you are as a person and as a Rwandan.” He repeats this over and over again whenever he addresses a gathering. He knows very well that if you have great self-esteem, you know that you are smart enough to make your own decisions. You value your safety, your feelings, your health, your whole self! Good self-esteem helps you know that every part of you is worth caring for and protecting. As you get older, you can have a bigger role in developing your self-esteem. Achievements like getting good grades on a test or joining a soccer or volleyball team are things you can be proud of. So are having a good sense of humor or being a good friend. Having strong self-esteem is also a very big part of growing up. As you get older and face tough decisions, especially under peer pressure, the more self-esteem you have, the better. It’s important to know that you are worth a lot. If you think you might have low self-esteem, try talking to someone you trust. They may be able to help you come up with some good ideas for building your self-esteem. It is okay to have ups and downs in your feelings, but having low self-esteem is not okay. Feeling like you are not important can make you sad and can keep you from trying new things. It can keep you from making friends and progressing in life. martin.bishop18@yahoo.com