Image: Public Domain, Clker

Society is always trying to fit us into whatever mold will keep us compliant and buying what they’re selling. It can be hard to see what’s good about yourself when the whole world seems to be telling you that you’re not good enough.

Making a list of what’s good about yourself can help you build self-esteem and break free of the subjective views of society. Now, some people have a really hard time with this exercise, and I find that very sad. Life has beaten them down so much they can’t see anything good in themselves. If you’re one of those people, I encourage you to look deep, search for anything that you can think of that’s good about you. If you can find one, you can find more, and it can lead you on the path to being the most amazing you.

There was a time when all the years of being called fat, ugly, stupid and worthless had me feeling lower than whale dung. I had no self-esteem. Exercises like this one really helped me to be who I am today, so believe me when I say that this is worth trying. I also encourage people to pass this on to anyone you know who may have low self-esteem.

So what kind of good are you looking for? Any kind! Even the littlest thing is worth noting and adding to your list. Do you have a cute nose? Do you love your ears? Do you make a great grilled cheese? Are you a good listener? Do you know every Klingon word ever spoken on Star Trek? Do you have a way with animals? Look for anything about yourself that you like. Skills, quirks, physical attributes, anything. Write it down.

When you’re making the list, don’t even allow yourself to think about whether anyone else likes it or not. If you love your ears even though everyone else makes fun of you for them, write it down. Even if others think your knowledge of internet memes is dumb, if you love it, write it down. It’s all about you finding out what you can love about yourself, not what anyone else thinks.

Revisit your list from time to time. Try to add more to it if you can. Hold on to those good things and use them to help boost your self-esteem. Everyone has good attributes, no matter what anyone else thinks. Everybody is awesome in their own way.

What do you love about yourself? What makes you awesome?

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter