Self-esteem is the ability to see yourself as a flawed individual and still hold yourself in high regard.
Esther Perel
Words, often easier said than done.
Self-doubt and Low Self-esteem
These emotions can sneak up on us when we least expect them. You’re riding the wave of life way up high in the sky. It’s even moving along on cruise control, and everything “feels” fine.
Then one day, out of the blue – you lose your job, your spouse, or possibly the feeling of sadness has literally jumped out on top of you – entirely out of nowhere, and it’s unexplainable and overwhelming!
Your negative thoughts are consuming your essence and clouding your brain, giving you a false message that you are dirt. But, my friend, I promise that simply is not true!
And I am no exception to this rule!
I go through cycles of self-doubt frequently. My negative thinking might run its course over a few months or, if I’m lucky, over a “short” 24-hour period.
Often, listening to music is the only way to stop my cynical and hopeless thoughts from taking over my mind. And that is usually the easy part – preventing them from running amuck! Once stopped, I then have quite a bit of work to do. The job of pulling myself up and out of the foxhole where I have fallen.
Today I’d like to take you on a journey.
To seek out & desire God’s Love
The comfort of God’s Love is what should be consuming our thoughts and minds—telling us that we are strong and worthy (also, not always easy to believe.)
Our need for love and acceptance from others sometimes comes with an intense internal battle of feeling that we are simply not good enough.
Our metaphorical toolbox
We’ve chatted about our “toolbox” before, during conversations of Motivation, Daily Gratitude, Meditation, and of course, Prayer. The tools provided are “exercises” or practices to improve a particular area of your life, navigating our path of finding inner peace.
We need to nurture our souls.
So today, we will begin by planting a tiny seed. Once planted, we need to nurture and allow it to grow in our hearts. Teach it to yearn for the positive feeling of love and acceptance, not from outside sources, but the positive force deep within each one of us.
We need to seek the power that comes from God’s Love.
His Message?
- I am worthy ~ Fight the feeling of thinking you are weak.
- I am strong ~ Find the power within you.
- I am Yours ~ You are not alone.
Find the way to “give in.” Release your negative thoughts. Melt into His arms.
Let’s create a desire for God’s Love.
What nourishment does our seed need?
What tools can we use to light our souls on fire?
- Music ~ to hear
- The Bible ~ to see
- Prayer ~ to feel
Music
When we hear a beautiful song at the right moment, the words will easily flow from our ears and directly into our minds and hearts.
The words will wash over us.
A couple of fabulous songs to begin with – You Say by Lauren Daigle and
Whom Shall I fear by Chris Tomlin.
The Bible
When we read an inspiring bible verse at the perfect time – we see the words. The words will move from our eyes into our minds and hearts.
The words will wash over us.
A couple of my favorites –
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.
1 Corinthians 6:19
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1
Prayer
When we pray, we feel what we need to think and feel at that very moment.
And all of God’s love washes over us.
And then …
Take the words that you have heard and read. Take your feelings and emotions that have come to you – the good, the bad, & the ugly and write a letter to God.
Write a letter asking for his love, asking for your low self-esteem and negative thoughts to be washed away. Write this letter every day until you believe the truth deep inside the seed that is growing within your heart.
- I am Strong
- I am Worthy
- I am Yours
You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
Lauren Daigle
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh
You say I am Yours
Until next time … Peace and Blessings, Friends!
Originally published at The h is For – February 14, 2020