There are only ever two paths to true change in life. The first path is pain, which is the most common. Many people have been forced to make a shift through experiences that have become so painful that they can no longer bear the suffering that is brought on by their own beliefs.
The second path is knowledge. It is the path less travelled but one worth finding. For this knowledge, I am immensely grateful to the extensive work of Dr. Nathaniel Branden that provided me with the clearest pathway into personal growth. His clinical studies and research have laid a significant, universal groundwork for understanding the dynamics of our spiritual evolution through the principles of self-esteem. One that connects all the dots, offering a deep and most exhaustive insight into human motivation and behavior, into why and how self-esteem affects virtually every single aspect of our life. Immense in scope and vision, the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem is the bigger picture and a must-read for anyone committed to breaking cycles and living life on "higher grounds".
What about self-esteem? Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important than the judgment we pass on ourselves. Self-esteem is how we see ourself. It encompasses the emotional, evaluative, and cognitive components that determine our ability to learn, communicate, make appropriate decisions, deal with change and with life challenges at large.
It also entails certain action dispositions: to move towards expansion of the self instead of stagnation; to move toward consciousness rather than away from it; to acknowledge facts rather than denying or escaping them; to operate self-responsibly rather than the opposite. Without positive self-esteem our resilience in the face of life’s problems is impaired and we tend to live a life led by the fear of pain rather than fueled by the desire to experience joy.
In a compelling exploration of cause and effect of parental upbringing style, social influences and cultural factors, the author seamlessly connects all the dots and gives the key to the six practices that he has found to be essential for the nurturing and sustaining of healthy self-esteem: namely, the practice of living consciously, of self-acceptance, of self-responsibility, of self-assertiveness, of purposefulness, and of integrity.
The Six Pillars of Self-esteem is available in audio-format, but if you are like me, you'll go for the printed version where you can always find your place in the book, because this is one you will never put down completely.