Self-esteem is about your overall view of yourself. Our self-esteem clearly affects our behavior. We are not born with high or low self-esteem; it is influenced by our past experience and our thoughts of self-confidence and self-doubt. Self-confidence is about believing you can do a specific task; it is also called self-efficacy and self-concept. It is an “I can do this” attitude and is typically believed to be a quality of leadership.

Think of the last time you told yourself something critical or negative. Then think of the last compliment or positive thought you had. We tend to have too many negative thoughts and think about them over and over. Optimism helps to overcome self-doubt; it is the opposite of pessimism, and it is often considered to be a personality trait. Grateful people are happier, healthier, and less stressed. Ungrateful people tend to be dissatisfied with what they do have and are never satisfied because no matter how much they get, it is never enough.

The way to improve your self-confidence and self-esteem is to change your thoughts through positive self-talk. Self-talk is a subset of thinking in which you make comments, set reminders, and give yourself advice. You need to practice a new thought over and over.