Here’s How Practicing Gratitude Will Make You More Confident.
If you are one of the 80% of women who have low self-esteem, this is for you.
It’s almost midnight on a Friday and everyone is asleep but me. Why?
I am baking while listening to a podcast with Molly Mae.
If you don’t know her, she is a very successful English social media influencer, the Creative Director of the clothing line, Pretty Little Thing and Love Island cast. She is known for her strong work ethic, raw content, and the incredible achievements she’s made at only 22 years old.
The more she spoke in the podcast, the more envious I got, not of the beautiful, luxurious life that she has but of her confidence; “If only I was as confident as her nothing would stop me and I’d probably be running the business I’ve always wanted to, I’d have gotten the promotion I deserve, etc.”
Then the podcast host asked her how could she possibly be happy in a life that seems so controlled by her fans, especially because she’s been spending a fortune for security yet still not being able to enjoy simple things like going to the Christmas market for a couple of minutes. Her answer warmed my heart.
She asked what is it not to be happy about, her family is well, she’s well, she can fulfill all her basic needs and obviously, she’s living the life that she’s always dreamed of.
This answer truly shows her character as a simple person living in a complicated world, she seems so grounded despite all the chaos around her.
A couple of days ago, I wrote an article about how to cultivate your self-esteem using simple methods recommended by neuroscientists and people who study the mind. One of them was “practicing gratitude” so it truly caught my attention every time she said how grateful she is for her most basic needs being met.
This year I decided to boost my self-esteem so I can continue making progress in my life. I seem to be stuck in a place where I can’t excel at anything because of the little voice in my head telling me that I am not good enough.
These stats might also explain why I was very impressed by Molly’s confidence.
According to a 2022 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, almost 80% of women have low self-esteem. A 2021 study by The WealthiHer Network found that 79% of women struggle with self-esteem. A 2021 report by The Body Shop found that one in two women worldwide feel more self-doubt than self-love.
So, I am on the hunt for solutions and I want to dig deeper into the practice of gratitude and how it can help us boost our self-esteem.
Monks start their day with gratitude.
Buddha said,
“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful”.
Buddhist monks begin each day with chants of gratitude for the gifts of food and shelter, of friendship, and for the teachings that benefit all.
For them, gratitude is confidence in life itself.
Science backed up the fact that gratitude boosts self-esteem.
Studies have shown that people who feel more gratitude also tend to have a higher self-esteem and that’s because their mind intentionally notices how people are good to them which in turn helps them develop a stronger sense of their own value.
They are also likely not to compare themselves to others.
How to make gratitude a daily commitment.
People recommend starting simple with:
- saying thank you to someone who did something nice for you might spark a good feeling in you.
- recording things that made you feel good in a gratitude journal.
- I am a Christian so this one is important to me: being Thankful to God for all of his blessings in your prayers.
If you got through the end of this article, I am deeply grateful to you.
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