Self-Esteem Month

For the month of July my topic of study has been self-esteem. I have read some of the most amazing talks...and want to remember some of the qoutes that stick out to me the most.

"I would like to say one thing to the young men(& Sarai): don’t take too much counsel from your fears." - James E. Faust

"Indeed, the self-esteem that I speak of this evening is not blind, arrogant, vain, self-love but rather a self-esteem that is self-respecting, honest, and without conceit. It is born of inner peace and strength." - James E. Faust

"The Worth of the Unsung
In my long life I have observed that the greatest respect is owed not necessarily to the rich or the famous but to the quiet, unsung, unknown heroes whose true identity, like the Unknown Soldier, is known only to God. The unsung often have little of status, but much of worth.
Example of the Unsung
When I was growing up in the Cottonwood area of Salt Lake County, it was the rural part of the valley. One of the men who had the greatest dignity and commanded the greatest respect was an old Scandinavian brother who, after walking a couple of miles, traveled by streetcar to work at the Salt Lake City Cemetery and back every day. His work was to water and mow the grass, tend the flowers, and dig the graves. He said little because he did not speak English well, but he was always where he should be, doing what he should be doing in a most dignified, exemplary way. He had no problems with ego or with faith, for while he dug graves for a living, he felt his work was to serve God. He was a man of little status but of great worth." - James E. Faust

"Worth has little to do with age. It has everything to do with service. The Lord has made it clear that worthiness is built upon service, not just to family and friends but also to strangers and even enemies. From Milton’s Paradise Lost comes this truth:
Oft-times nothing profits moreThen self-esteem, grounded on just and rightWell manag’d" - James E. Faust

Six Keys for Healthy Self-Esteem

First: Keep your agency - “This means we must not surrender self-control nor yield to habits that bind, to addiction that enslaves, nor to conduct that destroys.”
Second: Humility – “I mean the humility that comes with inner strength and peace. It is the humility that allows us to accept and live with our own warts, without cosmetics to hide them. It is important to learn to live with our uncorrectable physical and mental defects without complaint or explanation.”
Third: Honesty – “Honest begins with being true to one’s own self. Being true to one’s own self is the essence of honesty and a keystone of self-esteem.”
Fourth: Love of Work – “It doesn’t matter what people say about me, or what I say; what matters is what I accomplish. What we accomplish helps our self-esteem.”
Fifth: Ability to Love – “The commandment given by the Savior was to love other and yourself. Am I secure enough in my love of myself to laugh at myself, to admit mistakes, to graciously accept a compliment? Am I secure in my love others to smile and say hello to a perfect stranger?”
Sixth: Love of God – “The most essential key to self-esteem is the love of God…There are many whose self-esteem has been so devastated by the loss of loved ones, by divorce, of by other misfortunes…It is important to remember and never forget that all of us, male and female, were created in the image of God and created by God. Mankind is the noblest of all creations…so it is that nobody is a nobody. The seeds of divinity are in all of us…The day will come when we will all have to account to God for what we have done with that portion of divinity that is within us…I testify that God loves each of us – warts and all. I testify that each of us has a potential in this life and beyond the grave that exceeds our fondest dreams."

I have to live with myself,

and soI want to be fit for myself to know;

I want to go out with my head erect,

I want to deserve all men’s respect;

I never can hide myself from me,

I see what others may never see,

I never can fool myself—and so,Whatever happens,

I want to beSelf-respecting and conscience free.