Posts tagged Celebrity
Does Too Much Self-Esteem Create Mediocrity?
Oct 9th
Do we hand out praise to readily and is it causing an inflated sense of self-esteem within our society making being mediocre, or worse the norm.
I recently looked up the definition self-esteem on the internet and the general consensus of opinion was that it means; self-esteem reflects a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. The reason I looked it up was because I was wondering if it was possible to have a high level of self-esteem but in reality you were only mediocre.
Let me explain what I mean; we are bombarded with talent and celebrity (so called) ‘look at me I can make myself look a complete fool and still get paid for it’ shows on our televisions. Obviously the participants must think that they have at least some sort of chance of winning, so they must have a high level of self-esteem. But after watching some of these shows I get the impression that a very high percentage of the participants have little to no talent at all, but if you told them that, they would look at you as if you were a lunatic.
My theory about this is that we heap praise upon people far too easily these days, giving them the impression that they are the bee’s knees, and upping their levels of self-esteem. In schools these days you get a certificate for turning up on most days, so what happens, the child is pleased with themselves, thinks that turning up most days is a high level of achievement and their self-esteem thermostat soars. This is only one example of praising mediocrity, and I don’t want you to get the idea that I think that mediocrity should be punished because I don’t. Give it some compassion, but don’t hand out certificates and cups for it.
Thankfully my television has an off button so I don’t have to watch mediocre celebrities and acts, but it does concern me that we have produced a generation, and seem determined to continue produce future generations, who think that nearly being good at something is all that is necessary to achieve success.
The self-esteem thermostat of the nation is stuck on mediocre and for that to rise even as high as good we have to raise the bar before handing out trophies and certificates to the wannabes and ‘think they cans.’
Be Your Own Cheerleader and Believe in Yourself
Aug 28th
When asked, most of us can rattle off a whole list of things we believe in. But if I were to ask you the most important question of all: “Do you believe in y-o-u?” you might come to a screeching halt.
Many times, we go through life picking up the belief system of our families and the values of our friends, without asking ourselves whether the ideas are truly meaningful to us.
You might go along for years without any real problem, and then suddenly hit a wall. Maybe you don’t get the job you wanted or the relationship you hoped for. Suddenly you’re filled with self-doubt, and it’s confusing.
One of the biggest causes of stress and unhappiness is an underlying lack of self-confidence. When you doubt yourself, it’s hard to make decisions because you second-guess yourself all the time, trying to please others and trying not to make a mistake they will criticize or condemn.
Life is full of mistakes! That’s how we learn what doesn’t work, so we can discover what does. At least, we have the potential to learn if we don’t get stuck in regretting the mistakes we make. Looking back over your shoulder all the time means you are going to stumble on the path today because you won’t even see the roadblocks in front of you.
Have faith that you are capable of growing and learning from the things you try that don’t work out so great. Be inspired by the stories of people who surmount their struggles and go on to excel. You can do it, too, even if you aren’t an Olympic champion or a celebrity or an award-winning business person or artist.
Take a few minutes now to make a list of your best qualities. Some of them might be that you are kind-hearted, friendly, generous with compliments, a good team member. Everyone’s list will be different, so don’t worry about whether the list sounds “good enough” – you are enough just the way you are.
Now realize that if you don’t have faith in your own ability to succeed, then who will?
In your own world, be a winner. Focus on your goals and keep striving to learn from what doesn’t work, so that you will find the things that do.
