In 17th Century Italy, Galileo Galilei boldly declared to the church, which was the institution that controlled information and held sway over the scientific community and acted as the authority concerning all things moral and educational during that time, that “the earth revolved the Sun”. In those days the belief was that the universe revolved around the earth, so it’s no surprise that his declaration did not go down well because it challenged the basis of an entire establishment. Galileo was persecuted and confined to house arrest for the rest of his life, accused of heresy.
Despite the persecution he was able to cope with the challenges of life because he knew what he had discovered was the truth. He valued what he had discovered, he valued his belief, and he chose to live by conviction rather than compromise to preference. He had an amazing level of self-esteem. Can you imagine yourself like Galileo, holding on to what you believe in when your society despises you? Or your life and livelihood are being challenged? A healthy self-esteem is a basic need because at some point in life your peers, family or society might not agree with what we do or believe, that’s where a high level of self-esteem is invaluable to ones personal integrity and well-being.
Again, a high level of self-esteem is not gained overnight, rather, it is built little by little, one principle at a time. It’s the sum total of all the choices we make. What choices are we making today – because they can determine what self worth we have in our future.
