Do you feel you have low self esteem? Or do you feel depressed? Is it hard for you to leave your house and meet new people? Some people think that low self esteem and depression are the same. In this article I will speak about low self esteem.

Some peoples self esteem evaporates when they are constantly reminded what a terrible person they are by their spouse. The worst part of this horrible sentence is they believe it.

Other peoples self esteem evaporates when a sibling or friend mentally downgrades them to a point that they dont even realize that this is happening.

Some people live their everyday lives and do not realize that they have low self esteem. There life has always been on the same even keel and the boat never gets rocked. They are happy or so they think.

The people in your lives thrive on having enough power over you to inflict this mental prison. These people are usually unhappy people themselves. They are so miserable in their own minds and bodies that they have to make the people closest to them miserable also.

Then maybe something earth shattering happens, the death of a child, spouse or parent and their lives are tipped upside down. Suddenly, the life they lived and were comfortable with collapses. There self esteem evaporates at the prospect of living a new life.

WHEN THIS HAPPENS - WHAT DO WE DO?

(1) We can get a job.

(2) We can go back to school.

(3) We can join a gym and exercise to improve our mental and physical self.

(4) We can volunteer.

Volunteering is what I would like to speak about tonight.

There are several places to volunteer.

(1) A Church

(2) A Temple

(3) A School

(4) A Hospital

(5) There are many more facilities to choose from.

Any of these facilities always need an extra pair of hands to help with whatever pops up in their community. Without the volunteers many extra activities would never be utilized.

When you volunteer you are helping yourself boost your self esteem. You do this without even realizing it is happening. You just feel wonderful being able to be out and about and doing new things and meeting new people.

First of all - always volunteer for a job that you are interested in.

Maybe it is an area that you always wanted to work in but were afraid to change occupations. Now you can find out if this is what suits you.

I do not mean if you are working and supporting yourself and your family to quit your job and volunteer I mean incorporate volunteering into your free time.

When you volunteer you feel good about yourself. You smile from the inside.

You are reinventing yourself to embrace new experiences and meeting new people.

When you volunteer the organization you volunteer for value you as a person and appreciate your time.

I volunteer every Saturday night at my church. I am a greeter. It does not sound like much but I enjoy it. I meet new people each week and I assist people with their questions.

I also volunteer for special projects and genuinely where I am needed. I always feel great about spending my time helping others and my self esteem jumps to the top of the scale.

When you are a volunteer you have all kinds of perks. You can get into special events free and be a part of the special event.

Anything you do to make your life more meaningful makes you a better person and when you are a better person you are a happier person.

When this happens your self esteem pops and pretty soon you have a big smile on your face.

So go for it find that perfect volunteer job and help somebody and at the same time you are helping yourself.

Thank you for reading my article. I hope you feel free to read my other articles.

Copyright 2006 Linda Meckler