Self esteem is not a test

"This life is a test. It is only a test. If this had been a real life, you would have received further instructions on what to do and how to do it."Ever heard those words? When you first read them, it's almost a relief. "Whew! It's just a test."But when you look deeper, you ask: "Well what, exactly, is being tested?"Then you conclude: "Me. I am being tested.

"Well, what about me is being tested?Here's where it gets interesting. Cause when you strip away the veneer, it all boils down to:

Am I loveable?

Am I enough?

Am I worthy?

Am I deserving?

So if your loveability is being tested, then who is doing the judging? Who grades the test? If you're grading yourself, then there's no need for a test. Rather, it can be a self-assessment.That's called self-esteem.

Self-esteem is the estimate you make of yourself. And you're already assessing yourself every minute of every day. It's the definition of self-esteem. But self-esteem is not a test. No.

If life is a test, then by definition it must be graded by another. It could be your friends, your lover, your family, your church, your job, your co-workers, your paycheck, your car, your house... any number of things or people.Bottom line: it's an Outside Authority who's grading you. Some would say God is doing the testing.

My own conclusion is that God is doing the giving, not the testing. Either way, I see God as Supreme Authority, not Outside Authority. Huge difference.The sun shines for all. The sun is always shining. Everyone can bask in the sun. Also, return to the foundation of self-esteem. Which is:

I assess myself. I am the only one who determines my level of esteem. I decide.

I assess.I assess my honesty.

My integrity.

My level of conscious responsibility.

My level of trust.

That's the foundation of self-esteem..Do I have the courage to earn my self-esteem? Or will I hide in a lie? I get to decide. That's the greatest gift of all.