You Have a Choice to Grow Up Great!

My young friends. Some years ago, as an elementary school counselor, I found myself with a request from a 5th grade teacher and the child's parents to counsel a boy who was in that teacher's class. One day I brought this boy, whom I had known from the time he entered kindergarten, into my office and asked him what he thought of himself. Since I had been told by his teacher that he seemed depressed lately, I knew where to start, and that is with self-esteem.

Now self-esteem refers to how you think and feel about yourself. When someone is depressed they tend to have poor self-esteem. And self-esteem is something you have to work on, and which no one can give you. Your self-esteem is inside of you--it is yours, and yours, only.

This boy had experienced aunts and uncles and cousins and various family members who had been in trouble with the law and even in prison. When I asked him this question, he responded with something like, "I'm bad. Everyone in my family is bad, so therefore, I will be bad."

Apparently he believed that he had no choice!!

If I had believed something like this, I would not have ever gained a college education and become a teacher and school counselor. I explained this to him and also explained that no matter what anyone had ever done in his family, he had choices. He could choose for himself whether he would become good or bad. We are never limited to what our family members choices were. We have our own set of choices and can choose to learn from their lives and go on to become someone we can respect and trust.

Always remember that you have choices!!! This is very important!!! Choose to respect yourself and grow high self-esteem. Choose to take control of your own life and never give up on yourself!! Always believe in yourself!!!