The fourth secret to super self esteem: Risk loving and being loved.
When we have been hurt by life (and who hasn’t?) we tend to shut off. We stop trusting ourselves. To protect ourselves from being hurt again we stop love. Unfortunately this leads to a cutting off of all that we really want: to love and be loved. Take the risk of trusting yourself again. Your mistakes are your best teachers. You have learned from your past experiences.
One mistake you may have made in the past is to not listen to your intuition, your gut. So, open the door once again and this time listen to your deep down feelings. Intuitively you know who to trust and who not to trust. This time be more mindful of what you know to be true about the people around you and the situations in which you find yourself.
Start small. Give a little in small ways and enjoy the process of giving. It’s a wonderful feeling. Give to whoever you find in your company. A wonderful way to give is through a genuine smile. It lights up people’s heart to see your smile. Smile to people in the grocery store, to the person in the car next to yours at the stop light, to your friends and family. Just give a little of your heart. You may find yourself willing to give more. Look around. There is literally no place your love isn’t needed.
Try this: imagine that everyone you meet wants to be loved and to be loving to you. Expect it. And when you are blessed with someone’s sincere loving act or expression, let it in. Let yourself feel the glow of the love. It is universal. It is all you want. Start the process of love flowing with your own willingness to love and be loved. You will raise your self esteem.