Hi everyone! Welcome, or welcome back, to The Teen Safe Zone where it's safe for teens to be themselves! In today's blog post, we will be discussing self-esteem and why it is not just about your physical insecurities, but rather, your internal feelings.
I have been thinking about writing this post for a while now, and I was experiencing "writer's block," I should say, because I felt that there was so much that needed to be said about this topic and I didn't want to leave anything out. However, I came to the conclusion that there will always be something new to talk about with self esteem because it comes in so much variety. I realized that society mostly focuses on "physical" self-esteem, you know, the facial and body insecurities. But, as a teenage girl myself, I noticed that just because you don't have physical insecurities, that doesn't mean you aren't struggling with self-esteem.
Self-Esteem Comes In A Variety:
As previously stated, self-esteem takes many forms, and everyone struggles with different aspects of it. Some people deal with physical insecurities, others deal with internal self-esteem struggles, and others are in denial and are too afraid to admit that they're struggling with low self-esteem. A lot of times, people are so used to hearing that "you only have low self-esteem if you're physically insecure" that they turn a blind eye to their internal thoughts that are telling them hurtful things.
Not having enough confidence in yourself is also another form of low self-esteem. Not seeing yourself as "good enough" or "less than" ties into this. These are examples of dealing with internal low self-esteem.
Think About It:
So many beautiful people in this world still deal with low self-esteem. If self-esteem was all about "looks," how does it still affect people who society would say have "beauty standards"? Another example is that people who society would claim are "average" can have the most confidence in the room. Self-esteem reflects the way you see yourself inside and out.
Having Confidence In Yourself... Inside & Out
Having confidence is so important to boosting your self-esteem, but you have to have it inside and out. You can't just have confidence in your physical appearance but still doubt yourself inside, and vice versa, because that kind of confidence is only temporary.
Imagine:
You're in an audition for a big music gig, and before you arrive, your confidence is sky-high, and you're pleased with yourself and your talent. But once inside the audition, you can't help but notice all of the other talented people who, you've convinced yourself, are unquestionably more talented than you. You're now comparing yourself to others, and when it came time to audition, you couldn't give it your all because your confidence was low.
This is an example of how confidence affects your self-esteem. I'm pretty sure that this event has happened in some way to many people before. In this situation, there are many things that went wrong that could have been easily prevented.
1. Your self-confidence should never be tampered with when you are around others. You're always going to meet people who you feel are more talented or better looking than you; that's life, and you will forever have to deal with that. There's no need to get jealous or insecure about these things; instead, compliment them. You should never have to tear someone else down to make yourself feel good, nor should you have an egotistical attitude. Confidence does not equal ego.
2. Stop comparing yourself. This is another thing that can affect your self-esteem: comparison. Once again, you're always going to meet people who you feel are on "another level" than you, but there's no need to compare. A lot of the time, we compare ourselves to things that, honestly, should be incomparable. Ex. Why should you, as a beginner in a specific skill (let's say art), compare your work to someone who has been drawing for 20+ years? Those two things should be incomparable because you both have different levels of experience.
3. No one is perfect. We're all humans, and we all make mistakes. None of us are perfect, even if someone is good at hiding their flaws. Believe it or not, many people may be dealing with the same internal issues that you are. However, we sometimes convince ourselves that "they have it all" just by looking in from the outside. We tend to misinterpret things pretty often, so don't be quick to assume things. Keep doing you, and have confidence in yourself even when you are tempted not to.
Confidence ≠ Ego
As mentioned before, confidence does not equal ego. Having confidence in yourself is good because it means that even when the world puts you down, you still have enough courage to not let their actions and/or words get to you and to continue doing what makes you happy. Ego, on the other hand, makes people have the attitude that they're better than everyone else, which is not a way you should view life. None of us is better than anyone else, and you shouldn't go around the world with that type of attitude. Sure, we are all on different life experience levels, but in God's eyes, we're all made the same.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed today's post! If you all have any other comments on this post, make sure to become a member on this site by simply signing up and making an account to comment! If you want to contact me about anything, please visit the "Contact Us" page on this blog where we can privately talk! New posts every other Sunday! - Lexi
Sorry it's been so loooong since I've last commented on here. I've been really busy with school, but once again, I love the advice you give on this blog and the new format!
I loved the new video on your YouTube channel, and I would love to see more videos in that style. You should do a video explaining why you don't have any other socials other than your blog and YT. I would love to hear your opinion on that!
I always look forward to a new post from you!
Hope you all are enjoying the new blog format! I'm trying to write the new blogs as in a "diary" or self reflection book. Hence, the "Think About It" and "Imagine" sections! Let me know if you all have any more suggestions for the format!