Low self-esteem is an emotional feeling of holding oneself with disregard to the truth of the real power you hold with your unique talents, gifts and skills. Because low self-esteem is out of balance with truth, it has a negative impact on your ability to create great things in your life.  If you are a person who struggles with this chronic habit of seeing yourself as less than God has made you to be; it’s time to give up the low self-esteem and see yourself for how great you really are.

1)  Shame and fear from previous trauma and abuse:

It builds your story that you somehow caused the abuse or deserved the abuse.  The shame comes from having been a part of a trauma or abuse whether you caused it or not.  Your fear is that if you shine or stand out, you will be hurt again.  Repeat each statement below and take a deep breathe after each one is completed…

• I forgive myself for believing it was all my fault and I deserved to be hurt.
• I forgive myself for believing there was something I could have done to stop the abuse.
• I forgive those who abused me.
• I forgive myself for holding on to the abuse and low self-esteem.
• I forgive myself for believing if I shine, I will be hurt again.
• I forgive myself for believing I had to give up my self love to protect my abuser.
• I forgive myself for taking the shame of the abuse even though I didn’t cause it.
• I give myself permission to say yes to this trauma, abuse, fear and low self-esteem and I release it to divine love and gratitude.
• Without this shame, abuse, fear and low self-esteem, I am free to shine like the sun.

2)  Fear of arrogance:

You are afraid that you will be perceived as arrogant or prideful if you love yourself.  You believe loving yourself is ungodly.

• I forgive myself for believing it is bad to love myself and be honest about my natural talents and gifts.
• I forgive myself for believing that loving yourself is ungodly.
• I forgive myself for believing I will be perceived as arrogant or prideful if I love myself as God loves me.
• I forgive myself for denying who God made me to be as a show of righteousness.
• I forgive myself for using low self-esteem as a false humility.
• I give God permission to forgive me for denying the light he made me to be.
• Without this pattern, I am free to be honest about who I am and what I am really good at.  I can share the truth of who I am even if I am shining like the sun.

3)  You don’t want to be held responsible:

You are afraid if you believe in yourself and have self-esteem, you will be held responsible for things that go wrong.  By holding on to your low self-esteem, you will avoid taking risks and responsibility.

• I forgive myself for believing I can’t do anything right.
• I forgive myself for believing I’m not capable.
• I forgive myself for using low self-esteem as an excuse to avoid taking risks and responsibility.
• I forgive myself for believing I must be perfect to take responsibility.
• I forgive others for blaming me for things that go wrong.
• I forgive others for shaming me for things that go wrong.
• I give others permission to forgive me for blaming them for my low self-esteem
• I give others permission to forgive me for showing up with less than my real God-given talent.
• Without this pattern, I am free to take action to give back and be responsible without feeling afraid I have to be perfect to deserve love.

4)  It makes people treat you special:

If you feel bad about yourself, people show compassion and feel sorry for you.  They go out of their way to make sure not to say or do the wrong thing around you.

• I forgive myself for believing, if I am powerful, people will be harder on me.
• I forgive myself for believing, I can control social situations by feeling bad about myself.
• I forgive myself for using low self-esteem to control how people treat me special.
• I forgive myself for believing it is safer for me to have low self-esteem.
• I forgive myself for identifying that low self-esteem is what makes me unique and loved.
• I give myself permission to let go of my low self-esteem and to express my true God-given talents to help the world.
• Without this pattern, I am free to shine like the sun and people still treat me special.

5)  I don’t recognize who I am as a child of God:

You identify with the chronic low self-esteem of your family of origin.  To belong you have to be a loser like the rest of your family.  You don’t realize that God made you to shine like the sun.

• I forgive myself for believing I have to be a loser to belong and be loved.
• I forgive myself for believing my family won’t recognize me if I don’t hold low self-esteem.
• I forgive myself for believing I will be alone if I don’t hold low self-esteem.
• I forgive myself for not recognizing who I am as a child of God.
• I forgive myself for rejecting the truth of who God made me to be for the lies of my family.
• I forgive my family for making low self-esteem the way to belong and be respected and loved.
• I give my family permission to forgive me for letting go of the low self-esteem and loving who God made me to be.
• Without this pattern, I am free to recognize who I am was a child of God and I am shining like the sun.

Monk and mystic, Thomas Merton, said it best when he said, “there is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun!”