Achievers say that you must have positive self-esteem in order to succeed in your world. I have interviewed successful people in Silicon Valley and they say that the number one trait you must have is to believe in yourself.

Years ago I thought, What does that really mean? How strong does your self-esteem have to be? How do I know? After many years of attending workshops, reading and practicing I came to this conclusion: once you have a strong sense of self-esteem it is the most powerful force in my world. It is like standing still and no one can push you down no matter how hard they try. If someone says you are no good it doesnt register because you have past experiences that tell you otherwise. You KNOW you are good at what you do. You are PROUD of yourself and no one has to give you a trophy or award to prove it to you. You do just fine because you believe in yourself.

The Silicon Valley role models I interviewed were assertive and confident in their decisions and activities--they believed they could do what they aimed to do. They had no doubt even though at the time they were starting something new. They didnt know how to do it but they had confidence in themselves that they would accomplish their goals.

Eight year old Nancy learned definitively that practice builds self-confidence. She loved to draw and wanted to be a Disney animator someday. With revelation, she recognized that she must do the things she loved to be happy. She knew what she wanted and went after it with a fierce conviction of her ability to do it. No one could discourage her. She just wouldnt listen. She insisted on going to an art college instead of a business college as her mom suggested. Nancy stayed focused, got a job working on a new animated series years ago and today she is one of the directors on the long-running, successful sit-com series, The Simpsons. Its a good thing she didnt listen to me or today she could be a miserable administrator. Wellthat would never have happened because she knew what she wanted and she went after it.

Self-esteem is fleeting. We must continue to work on it at all times. Why do some people fall apart when they lose their jobs, and others move forward and look for the next opportunity? It is all in how they feel about themselves. If you had a bad childhood and your parents were always telling you that you were no good and wouldnt amount to anything, then Ill tell you the same thing someone said to me, Get over it! You are an adult now. You can make choices. Take workshops, read success-oriented books, hang around positive thinking people, and practice.

Once your self-esteem is on solid ground the world is yours.