Self Confidence and Self Respect

I've started reading a parenting help book that both my Mom and Wrenn have raved about. It's called Your Child's Self Esteem. And only 40 pages in, I'm already seeing why they're nuts about it. Not only has it began to help me connect with Saylor, but it's helping me connect with myself as well. I think some people, including myself, get confused when it comes to the idea of self esteem or confidence. It really shouldn't be something you even think about. For example, when I know I'm about to meet someone new, I get sick to my stomach nervous. The more important the meeting is, the more gut wrenched I am. When I start feeling this way, I try to catch myself and talk myself into portraying myself as confident and nonchalant, even though inside I'm shriveling from nervousness and wary of anything that could be perceived as "awkward". This is a false confidence, and maybe even conceit. To achieve true confidence we need to feel worthwhile and loved. We can feel this way in an instant, we just have to allow ourselves to know that we are those things. Because you are.

This brings us to self respect. When I start to feel down on myself, and that "mean" Casey that lives in my head starts feeding me lies to warp my view of my true self, I ask myself, "If another person were here with me, saying the negative things to me that I am saying to myself, would I consider them a friend? Would I even ever hang out with them?" No. I wouldn't. Because it's a priority of mine to be around uplifting positive people, and I HAVE to remember... that priority applies to myself, also. Specifically, "mean" Casey.

When you feel worthwhile, you automatically start making better choices, better life decisions. I deserve to feel good in my body, so I'll run that mile I've been putting off today. I am worth it to not be around negativity, I will stand up for myself the next time someone (even if that someone is me) puts me down. We all deserve to be treated with love, respect, and care. Please remember this. Please remind yourself of this daily.