By Takiya Smith

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines self-esteem as a confidence and satisfaction in oneself. Likewise, to me, it is a form of self-respect and thoughtfulness towards your own inner and outer appearance, with regard to self-acceptance. So when it comes to “self” why is it that I’m finding that more and more have allowed others to dictate what “self” should be?

As I sat down to lunch with a close friend today, our conversation danced around the topic of self-esteem. How both she and I, at one point or another in our pasts, had discovered that we battled with low-self esteem, stemming from what others said, thought about or had declared us to be. The particular beauty of this conversation is that both she and I have now found our love, place and passion within the beauty industry and are well grounded and happy with what we look like, walk like, talk like and have achieved, regardless of who is not.

Nonetheless, we both recognized how so many of our clients, customers and peers from all backgrounds, nationalities, tax brackets and levels of education still share a common bond. Women, dealing with moderate to low self-esteem.

Concerns of who will like what they are wearing, who won’t like what they have to say and why they can’t seem to make anyone happy tops the list. Yet again, so many concerns of others’ involvement in oneself. The bottom line and the fact of the matter is this: Start with self. Respect self first. Accept self first. Give thought to self first. Esteem yourself highly, so that your self-esteem can be high.

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