Age 17

Emma, Age 17		Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. Self-esteem or self-confidence is a very important issue in the lives of teenage girls. Having high self-esteem means that you feel good about yourself and like who you are, including your skills, looks, personality, etc. Maintaining high self-esteem is a constant struggle that we deal with through out our whole lives, but it is especially challenging during the teenage years.
Every teenage girl out there, every young woman should be extremely proud to be a woman and to be exactly who they are at this point in their life. This kind of attitude can help tremendously in raising the self-esteem of teenage girls everywhere. Don't ever say, "I'm not skinny enough…pretty enough…smart enough…talented enough." Who are you comparing yourself to anyway? Is it the models in the magazine or the girls on TV? Just remember that many of the models have eating disorders and some pictures and images of women on TV and in movies have been artificially created from many different bodies so that the "fantasy" body is created. This makes it completely unachievable.

"It is very hard for many girls to have good self-esteem these days. The media and society influences us negatively. Instead of being strong and high achieving, we are taught to be beautiful and submissive to men. It takes an incredible amount of strength to move beyond these influences, but it is possible. We should all try our hardest." -Margit, age 16 "Nowadays it is relatively hard for young women to feel good about themselves because of the way the media portrays young women as being so thin." -Melissa, age 17		"Self-Esteem" by Emma, Age 17
Though it is very hard with all of the social pressure out there these days, all of us should be comfortable with our body types, skills and selves. No one is perfect and everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. So be proud and don't let yourself get treated like dirt, stand up and speak your mind. High Self-Esteem Can Help You to Be: More flexible - comfortable trying new things More secure - able to stand up for yourself and resist pressure Better at finding solutions to problems rather than just worrying about the problems Nicer for others to be around You tend to be happier and friendlier if you like who you are. Once you are o.k. with who you are you can pay more attention to your friend since you don't have to worry so much about your own problems and insecurities. "You have to love yourself before you can accept love from          anyone else." -Anika, age 17 "Respect yourself and everything else will follow." -Mary Robb, age 16

Where does Self-Esteem come from? Issues Affecting Self-Esteem Boosting Self-Esteem & Resources	Next >>
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