Self Worth versus Self Esteem
It’s very common to confuse these two terms or to think that they’re interchangeable. But they’re actually quite different, and not the same, at all.
Self Worth
The best way to understand self worth is to ask yourself how valuable you are, or how much you deserve to have something you prize (For example, a great relationship, expensive clothes, success at school or a fabulous job). In fact, many highly talented and gifted people sabotage opportunities that come their way as they feel they’re not worth it, or aren’t good enough. In terms of origins, our experiences in childhood play a critical part in determining what we believe we deserve, and what we can accomplish, and what we should expect. (That is, our basic sense of self worth.) Of course, the healthy thing is to always challenge this, and to keep on working on our basic beliefs, and to go for bigger goals, so we keep growing our successes. And success, here, can be a wide range of things – a fabulous partner who always treats us well, applying for a course or a job we really want, or getting a promotion and moving up the ladder. The goal is to reach your full potential in the end.
Self Esteem
In contrast, self esteem is a bit more transient and can change in an instant - depending on what happens. So we can dress really well and feel quite good about ourselves, and then a friend makes a nasty and comment, and our self-esteem falters, and we feel completely crushed. That’s how fragile our self esteem can be. But the good news is … it is easier to fix, as a compliment from others can bolster us again!
From this we can see that a healthy self worth is harder to cultivate – but more important, too. Hence, we should work on both – as each affects our thoughts and feelings – but mainly focus on improving our self worth … as this set the course, and the direction, of our lives!
Qualities of a Winning Personality
1. Exhibit integrity – A person is said to have integrity if what they say and what they do are rooted in the same set of core values.
2. Don’t speak badly of others – If you speak badly about others to a friend, the chances are you’ll also speak badly about them. Hence, they are likely to be hesitant in what they share with you.
3. Be an optimist – This doesn’t mean burying your head in the sand. It means choosing not to dwell on the negatives, and actively looking for the positives.
4. Make the effort to be helpful – Life is so much sweeter if you’re thoughtful and kind – and we rarely forget someone who’s caring and warm.
5. Set some goals and have some ambition - This is an extremely contagious quality. Not only will you achieve higher goals for yourself, you’ll give hope to others, and inspire them to try.
6. Seek to be compassionate and understanding – All of us face battles and experience hard times. Empathising with others when life is tough helps to ease their burden and renew their inner spark.
7. Believe in, love and respect yourself - If you don’t accept, respect and love yourself, then you’ll send out vibes that you’re inadequate. However, it you love, believe in and treat yourself well then it’s likely that others will treat you that way, too.
8. Persist until you succeed – Although ambition is important, it is not enough. You have to persevere if you’re going to succeed. So when you stumble or fall down just get up and start again. Then keep on going till you finally succeed.
9. Be open minded and willing to learn - If you’re closed in your thinking and set in your ways then you’ll never discover a different, better way .. and you’ll close yourself off to other possibilities.
10. Take responsibility for your life - Blaming others for your problems, or acting like a victim won’t help you to move forwards, and have the life you want. Take control of your destiny. Success is up to you.
Characteristics of a Winner
The following is a list of defining characteristics of a winner. A winner is:
1. A constant learner. They read books. They attend seminars. They research online. They talk to people. They know that they don’t know it all, but they can gather the information from other sources in order to get where they want to go.
2. One who takes immediate action. Once a winner has gathered the information they need, they take immediate action on that information. They don’t procrastinate. They don’t let any grass grow under their feet. They get on with it and do something. They are proactive.
3. One who engages in persistent testing. As they take action on the information they have gathered, they monitor and test their progress. If their action is not accomplishing the desired results, they will move in a different direction and then test those results. They are extremely systematic in their approach to accomplish more.
4. Someone who gives 100% of their effort. They are intelligent risk takers and lay it all on the line. They are passionate about what they do and what they contribute.
5. Someone who sets high goals. Winners know the importance of goal-setting and what it will take to accomplish their goals.
6. Disciplined. Winners have a lot of self-discipline. They don’t need to be supervised. They are well-planned. They know how to structure their day. They know how to take care of details, yet have a good view of the big picture.
7. Someone who has a pleasing attitude and personality. This doesn’t mean that they are pushovers. They are flexible and not rigid. They have a teachable spirit and are open to changing their opinion in light of the facts.
8. Enthusiastic. Winners are energetic and optimistic. They enjoy what they do and bubble over with enthusiasm. This enthusiasm is contagious and draws people to synergy and cooperation.
9. In control of their emotions. This is difficult. We live in a culture where decision making is often made on strong emotions. Winners seem to understand the importance of keeping their emotions in check and base their decisions on reason, strong research, and facts.
10. Focused on their strengths. They minimize their weaknesses and limitations. They focus on fully developing their strengths. They don’t worry about being perfect. They are concerned more with efficiency and being at their fullest personal potential.
Source: http://www.richchristianpoorchristian.com/2009/10/psychology-of-winning-10.html
