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There is nothing better for self-esteem than building self-esteem. As strange as that sounds, it is that simple.

Much of the population feels left out, as if on the sidelines. They feel that only people who had it from the start still have self-esteem, or perhaps they were well-liked as kids and and it stuck with them into adulthood. They always succeeding at at anything because they were “so loved”. The fact is, “it just ain’t so”.

Usually, it is the opposite of what we think the dynamics are of self-esteem. The gorgeous blonde in elementary school with the long pony tail, who maybe relied totally on looks for self-esteem grows up, has a few kids, gains weight, hair falls out and the rest turns gray from dealing with the hyper children and maybe a workaholic husband and she sits at home now and watches soap operas and drinks a bit too much, remembering the good old days when life was simpler.

Much is expected of children of successful and/or famous parents. One thinks this may give them a “free ride” onto the high self-esteem track when it usually does just the opposite. In fact, many rebel and get into destructive habits to find their own voice, and never grow out of it. No self-esteem found here

I will go back to basics. Self-esteem can do wonders for your self-esteem. That might not make sense if you feel your self-esteem has diminished for whatever reason. My point is, it can be learned for the first time, or re-learned in a whole new fashion.

Maybe you were the star athelete and wore the right clothes, made applauded every time you through a touchdown pass. You kept your grades up and you got consistent positive feedback. This helped your esteem. That is often how we get it early in life. But it is no longer that way in adulthood. Later in life, you landed a high paying marketing job and you hate it. The pay all goes to an ungrateful wife who spends it on fashions and takes vacations with her group of friends. And took your self-esteem with them, while you stayed home and drank beer and watched the game on television.

The simple fact is, that in adulthood, we have to create our own self-esteem. We do not necessarily receive all the unconditional love, attention, and acknowledgment of our deeds we did when we were younger. We can’t do it in a day, and there is no one path in which to build it.

Even on a depressing day, drive yourself to a soup kitchen and volunteer. Visit a shut-in; run an errand for someone wheelchair-bound. Tutor a childwith his/her homework. Do something positive to get outside of yourself. You will not get back your self-esteem most likely in one day. But if you find yourself making it a habit of helping others, you will slowly find your self-esteem rising. It is a natural consequence of helping others and getting outside oneself. Maybe it’s physics. The universe works in this fashion. We can fight it or join it.

The battle with low-self esteem can last a lifetime. Some never win. If one tries just a little, they usually do win. One day, not long ago, I looked up and I was turning fifty and had a major heart attack so I was becominging more aware of my mortality. Me? A major coronary? That was what other people had, not me. My ego loves me to think I’m so unique. So I took a week and analyzed my life. I took, (as Richard Dreyfus’ book in ‘What About Bob?’, baby steps. I studied. I researched. I learned. I even went back to college online. I volunteer to help the elderly and shut-ins learn the Internet and a few have even enrolled in universities in their 60’s and 70’s.

It is an interesting experience, to experience higher self-esteem, especially when one never had it. I fall into that category. I take it slow and easy. I enjoy the learning process. It has nothing to do with money or fame. It has to do with knowing me, and, finally, learning to like me, and maybe even love me, so I can love others.

Many people have had it much rougher than me. I have endured much in my life including homelessness, and I am certain there are many others who have even meaner stories, so if I can do it, anyone can. I just take a little time out of each day and do something positive, or create something, work on one of my projects, write a story like this one, to build my self-esteem. I may miss the mark some of the time, but I try to learn to do it right the next time, and still, I take time for myself to do just a little something positive for me or someone else, or both, for no pay, even if they insist.

In ten years of doing this, I feel I’ve made me a better person, and given that, made the world a little better place.

Londons Times Cartoons was my first stab at building self-esteem. It helps other people people laugh, hence help build their own self-esteem which is contagious. I get emails often and that helps my own self-esteem. In addition to my main cartoo site I own stores like LTSuperstore, RickLondonCollection, Justfunnygreetingcards,Justfunnycoffeemugs, Justfunnyaprons, Mirthgirthbirth, RickLondonwear, Justfunnymousepads, Justfunnyhoodies, etc. Business is brisk. People love to laugh and build their self-esteems, or give gifts to others to help build theirs. I am a very grateful person and a lucky one too.

When we are around humor or feel humorous, we don’t take life so seriously. If you do not feel you are a funny person, that is okay. Simply expose yourself to humor, on a daily basis. As time goes by, changes eventually happen, for the positive. They did for me, and I was definitely not a funny person.

But don’t do it all at once. Remember, baby steps, a little bit each day, and in a year, you’ll look back wondering who that sad person was (that was once you).