The first concept that builds self-esteem is that you need to accept yourself as you are today. If you are waiting for a time to arrive in the future to make you okay, you will miss the power of today to feel good. 1f you say things in your mind such as. It is good to want to grow and meet goals, yet it hinders you to have your good feelings be contingent on future conditions. Another concept to build self-esteem is to separate your behavior from the inner you.
Many people feel bad when their behavior is bad.
This is not so. If you do not like a certain behavior, expand your awareness. You can then choose a different way to get the need met. For example, I may overeat, not because I am physically hungry, but because I am emotionally hungry for a caring supportive person to listen to my inner conflicts. Once I see this, I can choose to talk to a friend, counselor, minister, spouse, or simply journal write my conflicts instead of hiding my feelings by overeating.