Self-Esteem

I once met a young man who had difficulty holding a conversation with a woman. He wanted to get into a relationship, but whenever his type of lady walked into the room, he didn’t have the courage to initiate a conversation. If she spoke to him first, he got cold feet and excused himself. Needless to say, this wasn’t getting him anywhere. When I asked him what his fear was, he said that nobody would like him. The thought of getting rejected by an attractive person was devastating for him. I told him that he had no difficulty talking to his friends; so, what was the difference there? He said he wasn’t scared there because he wasn’t attached to the result of the conversation. ...

When people hurt you and you don’t speak up, you feel bad about yourself. You probably wonder if speaking will do any good. What if they laugh at you or say that you are too sensitive? Labeling you as too sensitive is one way people manipulate you. They get you to doubt your feelings. This helps them come out as the ‘good one’ while maintaining control over you. Next time you express your disappointment in someone’s behavior and they respond by saying that you are too sensitive, don’t bite the bait. Let them know that you respect your views regardless of their judgments. ...