Tip#71: The Ocean of Richness: Self-Esteem - Pleasantville

Feel Rich And Deserving

In the world of psychology, self-esteem (also called self-worth, self-confidence, and self-respect) reflects a person's overall self-appraisal of their own worth. In other words knowing and embracing your value in yourself may be the primary key to making all your dreams come true. After all, how can anyone else see your value if you don't see and believe it yourself?

I wrote this entry on the morning of my 44th birthday. And though I could have chosen to dwell on desires still missing in my life I chose to focus on the riches I already have. I felt positive and highly grateful for all that had gotten me to this age. I counted my blessings and toasted them all with a delicious chocolate, frozen fruit protein shake!

In my mind and heart I thanked all my friends and family for believing in me and for all their unconditional support. I gave thanks for the roof over my head, the food in my belly and for having a healthy mind and body. I gave thanks to the world of movies for motivating me forward and for all the gifts and abilities that God gave me. And I was most grateful for my ability to maintain my optimism no matter what.

Turning a certain age can be a self-esteem killer for some because it can magnify what you don't have in your life. Remaining optimistic in the face of any age transition is an important life lesson to master. It can free you of the energy drain that come from judgments. Judging yourself or allowing another's judgments to affect your opinion of yourself can sabotage a happy, rich life.

Pleasantville (1998)

"It's not suppose to be anything."

Say that line to yourself anytime you are feeling down and thinking things in your life are suppose to be something else. That powerful and simple line comes at the end of the inspiring movie, Pleasantvillestarring Tobey Maguire.

In the scene, Maguire's character, David returns home a wiser person after his adventures in Pleasantville,a 1950's sitcom he magically got sucked into. He hears his mother crying in the kitchen where she has returned from an unsuccessful date with a younger man. She tells David that when his father was there she thought this was it, this was how it'll always be. She had the right house, the right car and the right life.

David smiles and says, "There is no right house. There is no right car." And as his mother cries she says her face looks like a mess. David replies lovingly, "It looks great." She then says, "I'm 40 years old, it's not suppose to be like this." David replies, "It's not suppose to be anything."

Let that transformational dialogue inspire you to focus on being optimistic when you find yourself down from whatever is still missing in your life. Being grateful for the positives in your life is a step towards seeing the value in yourself. Seeing that value will allow you to eventually see pathways to whatever else you want to make your life richer.

For some that could lead to an ocean of money or, more importantly, an ocean of richness. And that richness is just about being: well supplied; abounding; abundant; copious; bountiful.

The key is to feel rich and deserving and radiate that magnetic energy as much as possible. That will attract more richness into your life in the form of the house, job, money, relationships and other dreams you desire. Remember these steps when you feel your self-esteem is low...

Self-Esteem Boosters:
1) Count your blessings
2) Do things you love to do
3) See your value through other people's eyes
4) Be optimistic

Create the rich life you want by seeing the riches you already have. Lift your head up and smile at all the gifts right in front of you!

Related Tips:
Tip#70: The Ocean of Money - Ocean's 13
Tip#71: The Ocean of Richness: Self-Esteem - Pleasantville 
Tip#72: The Ocean of Abundance - Ocean's 13

Emmanuel Lopez
Life Skills & Career Development
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2007