Action Steps:

1. Recognize that You are in Control of How Your Perceive Yourself

At the most fundamental level, our emotional reality is a function of how we perceive ourselves. If we lack a basic sense of self worth and self love, it is almost impossible for us to be happy. On the other hand, if we do have a strong core of self esteem, we can remain emotionally resilient in the face of whatever life throws at us. Almost all of us have some insecurities and chinks in our self esteem. Critically, all of us have the power to change the way we feel about ourselves, and build self esteem and self love where it is lacking. Recognizing this power, and making a commitment to self love, is the first step to maximizing your emotional potential.

2. Nip Negative Thinking in the Bud.

Negative thinking is purely destructive and should be banished from your life entirely. When we focus on negatives, it undermines our motivation to make positive changes in our lives. The worst kind of negative thinking is self deprecation. When we think negative thoughts about ourselves, it reinforces negative self perceptions and, thus, negative emotions. Make a commitment to banish negative thinking and focus on the positives in your life - especially positive things about your self. 

3. Practice Self Affirmation

Aristotle once said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit" One of the most powerful facts of human life is that whatever we do repeatedly and habitually inevitably becomes entrenched in who we are, and starts to define us. This is profoundly true when it comes to our patterns of thought. If we think negative thoughts about ourselves all of the time, we will come to see ourselves in a negative light. On the converse, self affirming thoughts lead to positive self perception and self esteem. The way that we think about ourselves is habitual, and if you tend to think about yourself negatively, you're going to have to put a bit of effort in to break this habit, and forge a healthier habit of positive thinking. The way to do this is through self affirmation. Take 5 minutes every morning and every night to focus on feelings of self love, self worth, and positive thoughts about who you are.