Some people find it difficult to remain calm in tough environments. Others seem to just go with the flow – not letting things bother them much. One of the reasons life is so calm for these people is that they know how to build self esteem. Some may have had low self esteem to begin with – or maybe not. Either way, a high self esteem that’s not used to degrade people is a good thing. Here are a few tips to improve self esteem using a dart game as a visual aid.

So now, imagine that you are a dart board; round with all kinds of colors and sections to shoot at. Unfortunately, those around you are the darts and they’re constantly coming your way. As soon as they hit you your self esteem also takes a hit.

Now, these “darts” aren’t real, but rather they are the things that other people do to you that defeat your efforts to build self esteem.

Here’s what you need to review when improving self esteem:

Work Environment Full of Negativity?

We all know some negative people; those who will step on anyone and everyone to benefit themselves. These people thrive in places where everyone is working on getting ahead. They are non-appreciative of anything you do. It may be a manager or co-worker, but what you do doesn’t really matter. You can work through lunch, miss dinner and family events, work as much overtime as you can stand; none of it will matter to the overly competitive negative people.

So why are you in this losing battle? You may need to work hard at your job, but you don’t need to “prove” yourself to anyone! You need to build your self esteem in this case so the small things don’t bother you anymore. Leave the negative people to themselves; get out of their way (or use a little manipulative psychology on THEM!) Your work will be rewarded in other ways.

Change your Environment

This is not a case of “if you can’t beat um, join um.” It’s more of a case of if things are bringing you down too low, get out! Change can be scary, but in my experience, when I make changes that get me out of a bad situation, I find new life in myself! Be willing to be flexible and think outside the box. Even if the change makes things more difficult for awhile, your self esteem will increase as you take on these new challenges and succeed. Change is a fact of life, don’t be afraid of it!

Another dart that may come your way also has to do with other people’s BEHAVIOR. In every job there is one or more person trying to build self esteem by putting others down. These are the gossipers, whiners, backstabbers, controllers, complainers – you get the picture. Just leave these people alone. The bad vibes they’re putting off are not good for your self esteem. Negativity will never help your self improvement attempts; you will just go down with these people, instead of UP for yourself.

Inherited Self Esteem?

Self esteem (or lack thereof) is not inherited! People aren’t really born to lead, or born to think positively. Some just do. Some have learned how to improve self esteem and have practiced it to the point that that they are happier, healthier and don’t even think about it anymore. No one’s going to tell you that you now have “permission” to build self esteem; it’s up to you to take the first step, and get rid of the things that are keeping you from being happy.

After you start taking responsibility for your life, you will find that self improvement attempts become natural. You will start to grow and become the person you want to be. The more you build self esteem the easier it gets. So start today by doing these simple things:

• Be aware of when you’re negative and turn yourself around to a positive state of mind.
• Be happy and content with what you have; knowing you are working towards something better.
• Be appreciative of things that happen – instead of trying to find wrongdoings.
• Compliment others often (you’ll be amazed at how good complementing others will make YOU feel).

Your new positive way of thinking will help build self esteem. Start your new adventure today and no one will be able to hit you with their darts!