Why?

It is very easy to be mediocre.  As I have mentioned before, all it takes is deciding that the sacrifice isn't worth the reward to give up.  So in order to achieve anything, including self-esteem, you need to have a good "Why".  What I mean by this is that you need to have a why that is steady and reliable enough that when the day to day temptations come, your motivation to try is enough of a reason to overcome the hurdle.  

For me, it took me 6 years to develop a "Why" that was worth building my self esteem.  Because you see, if self-esteem needs improvement, more often than not, you don't see yourself as worth the effort to build it.  At least that was true for me.  I knew it was worth building and I knew I probably should build it, but until I had a good reason, it didn't reach the top of the priority list.  Let me start by telling you my "Why"s.  

The biggest thing that motivates me to think better of myself is my son.  One of my business coaches says, "The minute you allow yourself to run from things in your life, you pass it on to your children."  That statement alone is enough reason for me to pursue better, for my son's sake.  I want the best life for him that I can possibly attain.  This was the motivation I needed to confront my obstacles when they confront me.  

The second motivator I have is that I know my full potential will never be met if I don't believe in myself.  I want to be an asset to my husband, not a liability.  I want to be an encourager and a pursuer.  I want to embody the term "leader" with others, but I have to first believe I am worthy of following.  

And the same goes for you.  Whatever you want to be and whatever you want to do has to first be preceded by belief.  Belief in yourself, belief in your cause, and belief that failure begets success.  But in order to get there, you have to battle.  Because belief isn't something you can just decide to have, it grows, like a watered seed.  Belief comes from deciding again and again that the reward is worth the struggle and that the "Why" is reason enough to keep fighting.  I know mine is.  Is yours?  

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  -Ephesians 6:4