Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe and Thinking Well of Yourself

There are a lot of bad things that could happen to us in our lifetimes. An infinite number of things even. More than we could ever imagine, and more than we would ever care to recognize.

We spend a great deal of our lives worrying and fearing these things - of what today may bring; of what new problem will burden us or obstacle will obstruct us.

But none of these things are so ruinous to our lives really. Whether hurt, or lost, or left, we have the same opportunity to live happily and confidently. Only one problem could truly prevent it. Only one evil could ever prevent us from being our best selves.

Write and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said that no worse thing could happen to someone than he should begin to think less of himself.

It's so true.

What worse COULD happen? What other fate can so easily affect and ruin so totally every aspect of our lives? What else could TRULY kill our happiness?

Nothing. Nothing like thinking we're nothing.

Our self esteem is the only part of ourselves that protects us from the world around us. It is all that saves us from the evils of the world and the problems of the world - of people who leave, of health that's fleeting, of a world so challenging.

Between the problems life presents you and the solutions you are capable of lies your self esteem. It is the difference between the worst problem and the greatest solutions. It is the anchor in an otherwise treacherous sea. It is all that holds you together.

Without it, what remains? What is possible? What are you but sad and sorry and weak?

There is nothing worse, then, than that someone should think ill of themself; that they should be unconvinced of their power or ability, of their potential and worth, of what they can do in life, and can overcome in life. No problem equals this, and yet so many choose this problem. They allow the withering of their self esteem through the many other problems which they encounter, rather than strengthen it in the face of these problems.

They spend their life worried of these other problems, ignorant or oblivious to their greatest problem of all - the one that slowly grows in their self and slowly decays their self.

But there is nothing worse than that someone thinks ill of themself. All else is made worse by it. All else is ruined by it.