High Self Esteem
How do you get it?
How do you keep it?

High self esteem, is it illusive? Do we need to have it as dancers? How do we get it? How do we keep it? How do we shield ourselves from the barrage of messages that say we are really not as sound as we thought? How do we maintain high self esteem no matter what is going on in our lives, in our families lives, in our businesses?

This is not an article, this is a request for your opinions on this subject. Submit your story and comments to the blog and I will transfer them to these pages. You might want to also track my fat loss plans from the journal. As you know my goal for the pages on the Shimmy Chronicles is to empower, encourage and support each other, so set the tone of your comments to convey the same goal.

8/15, Linda Hughes comments:
For my part, I have gone through my whole life with fairly high self esteem. Or so I think, until I look in the mirror. What I see is not a reflection of what I see in my minds eye. Because I am a perfectionist, this drives me crazy. So, I have started a journey to bring these 2 images together. You already know that one way I am going to do this is by getting a grip on my currently poor nutritional habits, which will help me lose the fat that has changed the shape of my face and body.

What I have also done is connect with a wonderful woman, Lauren Solomon, who wrote Image Matters! First Steps on the Journey to Your Best Self This book is a step by step guide for defining, shaping and creating the image that you want for yourself. I own and operate 4 separate businesses, with 4 separate images or personas. I do know that image is important, but how can I find the time to play all of these roles? This question has plagued me for years, some more than others. I go through periods of time where I really try to maintain the separate images. Then, I get busy, I don't have time and then I get offtrack and then I don't care.

Until one day I go through the whole day on sales calls for my construction company, am saying goodbye to the last prospect of the day and I look down at the ground - one brown hiking boot on the left foot and a black tennis shoe on the right.

Or the day I volunteered to help hire teachers at my sons high school. We had talked extensively prior to the interview process that our presentation was just as important as theirs would be to us... it was important to convey a certain sense of professionalism. At the end, we were having our recap discussion and the mother sitting to my right commented that not only was my shirt on inside out it was also on backwards. I had gone through the whole day with the little white tag flapping under my chin, for all to see.

Or does this happen to anyone else but me? I got home late, had to leave very early the next day, so I showered at night, went to bed with my hair wet. When I awoke there was a giant puff ball at the back of my head that no amount of brushing could eliminate. So happens that I attended a meeting on nutrition with my trainer that day, and at one point he refused to sit with me until I had brushed my hair. After realizing that the brush would not help, he just shook his head in exasperation.

And this is my day life, we haven't even touched on what happens when I try to transform into a performance ready belly dancer. When I know I have to perform, I start having anxiety attacks two days before about makeup, hair curling, putting on fingernail polish and shaving.

Does my image affect my self esteem, or does my self esteem affect my image?

Another thing that seriously affects my self esteem is the shape of my bank account. I pride myself on being business savvy with a grip on the finances. When things happen to affect that, I take it very hard,very personally and very deeply.

Maybe way more than you ever wanted to know about Linda Hughes, the business side of the Shimmy Chronicles, but, there it is...warts and all. Of course, I have solutions in progress, and I will share them with you as we go. It is your turn now.

Oh, before you go, I was surfing and found this, thought I would share it with you, Click Here! for details.

Return from Self Esteem to the Nutrition Chronicles