Self Esteem

Self-Esteem has been enshrined on one side, and derided on the other. Here's the facts.

People need to feel generally positive about themselves. People who don't are depressed.

People are worth so much to God that He died to save us from the consequences of our own choices. However, no person is worthy of that sacrifice; no person deserved it.

Self Esteem is taken to mean, variously, Self Worth, Self Confidence, Egotism, and Selfishness.

I have a high opinion of myself that is not based in my past actions and choices. It is based on my dreams, my hopes, my plans, and my upbringing.

My parents made me feel proportionally important. I was loved, but I was punished for wrong choices. I was not neglected or put aside, but I was sometimes ignored. I was not the most important person in general, but when the conversation was about me, I was important.

I have Self Esteem, but it is based on a realistic Self Image. I am a young American man, with my whole life ahead of me. It might be cut short by some as-yet-unseen illness or accident, but I may live to ninety years old. Things will happen during my lifetime that will change the world, for better or for worse, but I will still be me, no matter what happens.