Good enough

I had an amazing RELIEF SOCIETY lesson today about self-esteem. and it made me think of this post and my time in Africa. The lesson was from Elder James E Faust Address at a CES fireside called the value of self esteem. 

In the address he gave six keys for healthy self-esteem

1) Keep your AGENCY. 

"This means that we must not surrender self-control nor yield to habits that bind, to addiction that enslaves, nor to conduct that destroys. To keep our agency we must avoid the deadly traps and pitfalls from which there may be no escape. Some, having been ensnared, spend the best years of their life trying to escape and so exhaust themselves in the process that in the end, even though they ultimately find themselves freed from the addiction, they are spent, burned out, their nerves shot, and their brains dulled forever."

2) 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"

3) Honesty 

"Honesty 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." 

4) Love of Work

"In my experience, there are very few people who are of true genius. While there are those who are gifted, most of the world’s work and some of the greatest contributions come from ordinary people with a talent which they have developed....What we accomplish helps our self-esteem. Sometimes we may think, “The work I do is unimportant,” or “I’m only this or that.” Every job that has to be done is important, no matter how minimal it seems; someone has to do it." 

5) Ability to Love 

"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 of others to smile and say hello to a perfect stranger? "

6) Love of God 

 

It was a really good lesson and I just wanted to share, because I know so many people suffer from low self-esteem (I get down on myself a little too often). It is good to remember that we really are good and we don't have to be perfect, every second of every day. There is only ONE person on this earth that has been perfect. And we can strive to be better every day, but remember that it is a life long process, and into the next life. We just need to be a little better today than we were yesterday. If we do that then we are on the right path and there is no need to feel bad or feel like we are not good enough. Because we are good enough.