Self esteem is one of the most important qualities that each of us needs to develop to live an expansive, emotionally comfortable and morally free life. Without sufficient self esteem, we become chameleons, changing our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors to please a person to get through an experience. Without sufficient self esteem, it is difficult to take the high road when life presents its normal stressors, obstacles and problems. Good self esteem is a building block for strong character.

Begin to improve your self esteem by starting small. It cannot be that you wake up one morning to plenty of self love and singing your own praises. Having negative thoughts can come as a result of past habits. Remember, too, that negative programming did not happen overnight either. To get rid of negative programming for positive thinking, time is required. You need to educate, dedicate and practice as often as you can.

To improve self esteem, make a list of all your positive attributes. It does not matter if they are physical attributes that you like about yourself or talents you have. Challenge yourself to add one positive comment about yourself every day. Look for opportunities to affirm yourself positively. Pat yourself on the back when you have accomplished something well, instead of looking at the things that you have failed to achieve. As your list grows, you improve your self esteem and positive thinking takes over your mind.

Do you know how to improve your self esteem? Probably not. To make it a little bit easier for you and to achieve your goals, here are some tips that you can utilize right away.

*Build up your self-esteem. You must take an inventory. What do you want to improve or change about the way you interact with others? Try to make only one change at a time. Always check you progress before making another change.

*Set clear goals for yourself before every interaction. Know what you want. Think about how the people you will be meeting can help you reach those goals. Then decide how to approach each person accordingly. Apply this regularly and you will notice a difference.

*Visibly respond to the other person. Smile, nod agreement, and address him or her by name. Apply all you listening skills to visibly respond. The body language is the most important part of a conversation. Practice, practice, practice?

*Pay more attention to the other person than to yourself. Are you responding to what may be going on in his or her life? Don't filter out bad news. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Be caring.

To improve self esteem is not to never ever feel insecure again. Everybody feels insecure in certain situations, but the difference is that the confident person never looses the feeling of self worth and love he has for himself, even when he's feeling some insecurity.