Are your troubles getting the best of you?  That is, your opinion of yourself – the best person that you are?  For today, the 50th Day of our “Give-Back Diet” program, let’s get to the root of the problems: self-esteem.

Many of us feel difficult emotions on a regular basis, but it’s the negative opinions of ourselves that really cause a lot of pain.  If we are not rock solid and self-confident deep down, then everything that comes our way is all the more challenging and difficult.  The trick to being able to handle life’s challenges is to develop a safe and loving core at the center of yourself.  How do you do that?  Let’s begin!

ACTION PLAN:

— The strongest way to build self-esteem, I have found countless times, is to put God at the center of my self.  If I am feeling or thinking bad thoughts about myself, I remind myself that I am a child of God.  I revisit and rethink to myself the truth that since God created me, I am loved and cared-for by God, and I’m good.  This is because God never lets us down.  

— Give yourself, and your life to the care of God over-and-over.  Say a prayer as simple as this:  “Your will not mine, God.”  By putting yourself aside and letting God come in to your core-being, you no longer have the weight of the world or the strength of your fears to overpower you; you have the strength of God and the power of all creation at the center of your life.

— If you are feeling down about yourself, instead of overeating or trying to self-medicate with excessive food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, or any substance or activity that is self-destructive – become self-constructive.  For every destructive thought you have, identify and repeat to yourself the opposite.  If you believe “I’m a failure,” turn it around to become, “I’m OK, I’m doing my best.”  If you think “I’m too fat, or I’m  ______ (fill-in the blank with a negative self-doubt),”  rewrite it to become “I haven’t given-up and I am getting better and better every minute of the day and night.”  These kinds of self-pep-talks really work.  You may not believe the turnarounds at first, and that’s normal, but do this anyway.  It’s a function of the “as you think you become” truth of existence.

— Another truth of living is to know that every person is flawed, and making mistakes.  You are by no means the only one.  We all make mistakes, do the wrong things, and commit errors and sins from time-to-time.  We all get separated from God on a regular basis, and think that we can solve our own problems by ourselves.  That is the true mistake.  We need God to help us; we cannot do it without Him.

— As Winston Churchill once said, “never, never, never give up.”  He was right – we must NEVER GIVE UP!  There’s always a different way. We just have to get out of our own way, and let a new way – God’s way – come into us.  Start by taking one tiny step forward today.  Make one little change in your self-esteem.

Do YOU have some difficult self-esteem problems?  Please post your commitment to putting God first at your core, and then share some mental and emotional turnarounds with us.  Give-Back the self-effacing and self-hatred, and teach us all how to feel better by sharing your methods of building self-esteem.

HERE’S A LIST OF EVERY DAY OF THE “GIVE-BACK DIET.”  START TODAY!