By: T’erica Johnson, Barbizon Alum and Guest Blogger

Terica2

On a scale of one to ten, one being low and ten being high, how would you rate your self-esteem? If you answered eight or higher, that’s great! I’m really happy for you! One quick question, has your self -esteem always been this high? If you answered five or below, what do you think causes it to be so low? Everyone is beautiful and valuable, even you, who rated your self-esteem low. Is there a group of people or a certain person who constantly knocks you down when you feel beautiful? Are there people in your life who make you feel unworthy?

Before you close the page thinking I am someone who doesn’t have the slightest clue to know what it feels like to have those feelings, trust me when I tell you that I have and I completely understand what you’re going through. Throughout my middle school and high school years, I dealt with a ton of self-esteem issues: from being that chubbiest girl on the cheer team and not wanting to cheer in front of the school at football games to questioning why my friends wanted to be around me. But with a lot of determination and support, I was able to overcome all of the negativity and learn how to love myself. With the help of Barbizon and my trusted friends and family, I grew in self-esteem and learned to love and value myself.

Before I actually jump into these tips, just know that building your self-esteem isn’t an overnight miracle, it is something that takes time. When you keep practicing these tips and believing, you will find yourself in a much happier place, not only with yourself but in life and how you view things.

Find qualities in yourself that others love.
Whether it’s being helpful, funny or just having a great smile, there is something about you that many people love. Do many people compliment you on how beautiful your eyes are? Do you often get compliments on your style? Start by accepting compliments from others. Then really listen to them. Believe those compliments. Remember, you didn’t ask for them. People usually compliment you because they like something about you or something you’ve done. You may not see it at this very moment but, when you start looking and finally figure out what it is others like about you, own it. That special quality about you is something many people love, so use it to the best of your ability.

 

Excel in your passion.
What is something you find yourself doing all the time and always spending time trying to perfect? Personally, I spend a lot of time writing and taking pictures. Find the one or two things you’re really great at, then build on those skills. Practice baking different cookies with new recipes or practice to excel at a specific sport. No matter what your niche is, don’t stop perfecting it. It will make you feel like the most awesome person on the planet if others enjoy your cookies or you score the winning goal.

 

Learn and teach something new.
I know this sounds really weird because you learn something new every day. When you find a topic that you are really truly interested in, research that topic and maybe take a class on how to improve your skills. For example, I was always interested in modeling and acting because I enjoy being on stage and taking pictures, which is how I ended up taking Barbizon classes. I was able to teach my friends something they didn’t know much about. When I would explain things to them and give them an example like, walking down the hall like it was the catwalk (I start off in model stance un-noticeably of course) or applying the acting tips I learned to audition for the school musical, they would tell me what a wonderful job I did or ask me for tips. Whatever it is you want to do, whether it’s creating art, dance, film or anything else, find a class or a seminar on the topic and expand your knowledge of your passion.

 

Take chances and achieve your goals.
When you decide to take a chance on something you love (mine being acting and blogging) set goals for yourself so you can achieve them, and when you achieve those goals you will feel like the most powerful person in the world. When I went to Passport to Discovery (you can see my photo diary here), my goal was to receive more call backs than I had when I participated in Barbizon Competition. Throughout the months leading up to PTD I worked hard to make sure I knew my lines, perfected my walk, practiced improvisation, anything I could do to make sure I can achieve that goal. In the end, I was able to accomplish one of the goals I had set for myself. Although, I still have moments when I struggle with low self-esteem, I continue to take chances such as walking in the swimsuit competition (you can read about that here). All I’m saying is that it’s important to set goals whether they are long-term or short-term and set out to achieve them.

 

The bottom line is you are beautiful and sometimes you need a little reminder. Whether it’s following these tips or leaving yourself little notes to find throughout the day, remember who you are and don’t change for anyone.

 

Author Bio/Note

 

Hi Barbizon Insider readers,

Terica1

I’m T’erica, I graduated from Barbizon Dallas East in July of 2013 & graduated from high school in June 2014. Currently I’m studying Journalism in college while running a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog, as well as a YouTube channel. I hope my tips will help you grow whether it’s in self-esteem or confidence. I just want you all to believe me when I or someone else tells you that you are beautiful. If you want to contact me for advice or just to have a little chat, you can find me on my blog which gives you access to me, my thoughts, social media links etc. http://www.throughtheeyesofterica.blogspot.com

xx

T’erica