Is Friendship Affected by Low Confidence?

Do you know that low self-esteem and lack of confidence can affect what you're capable of achieving? Here is a confession from an Italian lady.

"I grew up in an Italian family. Our meals were centered on bread and pasta. Even though people always kidded me and said I was born with a fork in my mouth, I don't really think I ate all that much. My downfall was sweets. The food I ate was loaded with calories and sugar. To make matters worse, I inherited my dad's genes, so I was stuck with a bigger frame and the tendency to gain weight easily. My mom's side of the family is skinny. I wasn't lucky enough to inherit her genes but my sister was.

I had a very painful childhood because of my extra weight. When I started elementary school, there were even more problems. For one thing our school required uniforms but I couldn't find them in my size. I was constantly being made fun of and laughed at. I became extremely shy and had low self-esteem and suffered from lack of confidence. I always sat by myself at school and hardly had friends.

I realized I was different from all the other kids. My mom and dad always told me I was beautiful but I didn't believe a word of it. I basically spent my entire childhood going through the motions of a regular life even though it was far from normal. When I became a teenager, I found it very hard to make friends. So, I kept to myself.

I stayed at home and read books or listened to music. I focused on my studies hoping if I was intelligent enough I would be accepted by others. That didn't work though. If I ever did go to a school function, I felt not accepted by other students and I was never asked to dance. I became used to being ignored. I developed low self-esteem and the lack of confidence that shaped my life for the next thirty years."

Effects of Low Self-esteem and Lack of Confidence

1.) The person who has low self-esteem and lacks confidence will isolate himself from friends and other people.

2.) Low self-esteem and lack of confidence will lead a person not to be assertive. It makes that person to find it difficult in expressing his opinions and asking for help or whatever he wants from others.

3.) Low self-esteem and lack of confidence makes a person to be pessimistic.

4.) Low self-esteem and lack of confidence denies a person to live a better life. The person is demoralized and has the fear of taking chances into new opportunities whenever they arise.

Low self-esteem and lack of confidence is devastating for children. If it is not tackled during childhood, then it lingers into adulthood. You'll have a difficult time forming friendships. It is hard to live a happy life when you have low self-esteem and you lack confidence in yourself.

Before you overcome low self-esteem and lack of confidence in yourself, you need to find the underlying causes. This may require professional help but you can tackle it yourself. Talking about your problems with someone who is totally objective can help you put things into perspective so that you can free yourself from the bondage caused by low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

It does take bravery and determination to face your fears and seek help in finding solutions to your problems. Although the work may be long and challenging, once you overcome your low self-esteem and lack of confidence, your life becomes much better with your friends. You'll be glad you tackled your problems rather than letting them control your life.