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Anyone who has done any type of research about it knows, that a long list of abilities and achievements is neither sufficient nor necessary for healthy self-esteem.
So what is the precise difference between self-confidence and self-esteem?
Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself overall; how much esteem, positive regard or self-love you have. ... Self-confidence is how you feel about your abilities and can vary from situation to situation. I may have healthy self-esteem, but low confidence about situations involving public speaking…
"Confidence" comes from the Latin fidere, "to trust." To be self-confident is to trust in oneself, and, in particular, in one’s ability or aptitude to engage successfully or at least adequately with the world. A self-confident person is ready to rise to new challenges, seize opportunities, deal with difficult situations, and take responsibility if and when things go awry.
Just as self-confidence leads to a successful experience, so successful experience leads to self-confidence. Although any successful experience contributes to our overall confidence, it is, of course, possible to be highly confident in one area, such as speaking in public or dancing but lacking that same “confidence” level in another area, such as singing, swimming.
In the absence of confidence, courage takes over. Confidence operates in the realm of the known, courage in that of the unknown, the uncertain, and the fearsome. I have known people that have more courage, than confidence and ability! Courage is a nobler attribute than confidence because it requires greater inner strength and because a courageous person is not easily deterred by the possibility of perceived danger, as they believe in their limitless capabilities.
Self-confidence and self-esteem do not always go hand in hand. In particular, it is possible to be highly self-confident and yet to have profoundly low self-esteem, as is the case, for example, with many performers and celebrities, who can perform before an audience of thousands but still feel they are not good enough, they feel alone, unaccepted by others, lacking the self-worth necessary to go on...
"Esteem" is derived from the Latin aestimare, meaning "to appraise, value, rate, weigh, estimate," and self-esteem is our cognitive and, above all, emotional appraisal of our self-worth. More than that, it is the reflection of the overall and subjective emotions of our own worth, reflects and determines our relation to ourselves, to others, and to the world.
Ideas for Improving Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Think of qualities others say you excel in. Even if you believe them slightly, this is a step in the right direction.
Stop the negative self-talk. STOP IT! Start to think of contradictions to these statements.
Would you say it to a friend? If not, stop saying these statements to yourself.
Make a list of strengths. Think of what makes you unique.
If there is a specific area where you may be lacking confidence, then identify specifically what that is, and develop it.
Celebrate small successes.
Always work to your strengths
The more we recognize our challenges with self-confidence and self-esteem, the more aware we become of improvements that can be made. This is when positive changes occur.
Believe in yourself, even when others may forget to believe in you, you are worth it.