Self esteem is your opinion of your self. A high self esteem is a good opinion; a low self esteem is a bad opinion. You self esteem can be affected by several aspects of your life.

• Your Job: Do you feel your job is important? Do others respect what you do? Do you?
• Success: Do you think you are successful
• Self-image: How do you see yourself?
• Strentghs & Weaknesses: How do feel about your strengths and weaknesses?
• Social Status: What do you think of your social status? How do others relate to you? How do you relate to others?
• Decisions: Can you make your own decisions? Do you feel good about your choices?

Low Self-Esteem

Low self esteem comes from a poor self-image. How you see yourself is your self image. Do you see yourself as being a good person? Are you reliable, hardworking, honest and trustworthy? Are you a good friend?

How do you feel about your job? Do you like your job? Do you value your work and does it give you satisfaction?

Low self esteem is fed by negative thinking which causes you to lose confidence in yourself. It is vital that you put a stop to negative thinking and don't believe all the negative things other say.

High Self-Esteem

High self esteem is the complete opposite. If you have high self esteem, you have a good self-image. You're a happy, confident person with high motivation and the right attitude to succeed in meeting your goals.

With a high self esteem, you are able to admit to your mistakes without feeling that you have failed. You meet challenges head-on and improve where necessary.

Your self esteem affects how you think, act and relate to others. It affects you potential to succeed and to feel satisfied with yourself and your accomplishments. It affects you happiness and well-being.

Measuring Your Self Esteem

How high is your self esteem? Below are ten points about self-image. Read each point and answer True or False to each one as it relates to how you see yourself. The more you can answer as being 100% true, the higher your self esteem is.

• I accept myself as I am; I am happy with myself
• I feel valued and needed; I deserve love and respect
• I enjoy socializing; I make friends easily
• I can openly admit my mistakes and have no problem accepting criticism
• I don't hide my feelings; I speak up for myself, my views and my opinions
• I don't worry about what others think; don't need their approval to feel good
• I'm a happy person
• I can express myself without feeling guilty
• I don't feel others are more fortunate than me
• I have nothing to hide; I can be myself

The better your self-image; the higher your self-esteem, the better you are able to cope with the ups and downs of life. Everyone has times where they feel low; you may even have moments of feeling hopeless and depressed. Your self image affects the way you cope with the down times and your ability to bounce back.

Bill Bartmann has had his share of ups and downs in his life; he has felt depressed, hopeless, like he has failed. He wouldn't be human if he never experienced these feelings. The difference with Bill Bartmann was that he was able to redirect his thinking, lose the negative attitude and bounce back. Read Bill Bartmann's Story and learn more about coping and bouncing back when things go wrong http://activerain.com/blogs/billbartmann