You have true self-esteem when you value yourself just as you truly are. That is, you never see yourself as a person who has high or low value except when it is true. But you cannot arrive at this point except you learn to measure your true self-esteem.
There are quite several benefits that come from having true self-esteem and I will be explaining them here.
Benefits Of Authentic/True Self-Esteem
1. True self-esteem gives peace and security
False self-esteem is built on anything else except your significance to the overall program of life. Everything else in life changes and fluctuates except your significance to life’s overall essence. If your self-esteem is based on these other factors, you will continually be troubled and uncertain about what you are worth.
You will feel highly valuable when those things increase and feel worthless when they reduce. That isn’t healthy. On the other hand, you can have a sense of security in your self-worth with true self-esteem since you understand your value is high and is always so.
You can then divert your mental and emotional energies to other issues knowing that the question of your worth has been answered already.
2. True self-esteem brings increased productivity
Having true self-esteem positions you for increased productivity. This happens because a thorough understanding of how significant you are to the overall essence of life and the great impact your lack of productivity will have on humanity, in general, will motivate you to work.
With this, you are not just working so you can show how admirably valuable you are, you are working because you know your work is impactful and needed and your contribution is appreciated.
3. Authentic self-esteem gives you better relationships
False (low or inflated) self-esteem destroys relationships because it causes you to portray behaviors that are unattractive to others like pride, narcissistic behaviors, pretense, constant complaints, and avoidance of people.
Holding false self-esteem also puts you in a position of constant comparison which might lead to unhealthy competition.
All these will stop you from having satisfying relationships. Having true self-esteem, on the other hand, gives you a new approach to people: you see them as people of worth, just as you are, and you don’t compete with them because you understand everyone is equally worthy.
4. True self-esteem makes you value others too
Like we’ve said, true or authentic self-esteem can only be built when you understand that we are all valuable because we are working towards a bigger essence of life. Understanding this will also make you understand that the world does not revolve around you.
However, although your role is invaluable, nothing will still be done if it’s just you. So you know that for your work to have any meaning, others have to do their work too. This gives you a sense of value and respect for everyone you meet.
5. True self-esteem saves you from low self-esteem
The third step of the treatment plan in overcoming low self-esteem is separating your work from your worth. If you have true self-esteem, it means your work is no longer the determinant of how much you are worth and that will save you from low self-esteem, whichever you have of the two types of low self-esteem.
Also, your true worth is a high one so if you see yourself as you truly are, you can’t see yourself as someone who isn’t worthy.
6. Authentic self-esteem saves you from false expectations in life
Many people grow up with false self-esteem. They believe they deserve more from life than they actually deserve. However, sooner than they expect, their self-esteem will be questioned, and they will come face-to-face with the test of worth.
When a test of worth occurs, any self-esteem that is not built on the true measure of one’s significance to life will be destroyed and it will lead to massive psychological distress.
7. True self-esteem leads to growth and improvement
To develop authentic self-esteem, you have to separate your work from your worth. This means whether or not the things you do are worthy, you are still secured in the fact that you are worthy.
Separating your work from your worth comes with added benefits among which is the ability to open your work to criticism without it hurting your feelings. These criticisms make your work better because you can find out what needs to be worked on for your work to reveal your worth better.
If you don’t understand this concept, it means you haven’t read this part of the series:
Although the aim of building true self-esteem is not to discover your purpose, for you to build true self-esteem you will have to discover your personal purpose for existence so that you can see and play your part in the overall program of life.
This in turn gives your life a sense of purpose because you know what to live for and are aware of your contribution to humanity.
9. True self-esteem will help you maximize your potential
Understanding you have a unique and significant role to play in life’s program will stop you from comparison and satisfaction which are the biggest enemies of potential.
You don’t compare yourself with those higher than you and get discouraged because you know your assignment is unique, and you also aren’t satisfied that you’re doing better than others because your assignment is unique. You just keep getting better at what you do until you do all you can do.
10. Authentic self-esteem gives you every other benefit of high self-esteem
True self-esteem is high self-esteem because you are truly valuable. Therefore, every other benefit that comes from having high self-esteem will also be present when you have true self-esteem and gladly, this one comes with security because this high self-esteem is not built on falsehood. It will not fall when the test of worth comes.
Olusegun Iyejare is a career coach and certified counselor. He helps individuals discover and maximize their potential to live satisfying lives regardless of obvious limitations holding them back.
