Welcome to Dolapo Adufe's Blog: Self-Esteem is NOT Just for Kids - It's a Cornerstone of YOUR Success!”

I'm positive you've done the same thing as me. Wondered about what exactly it is that separates those who we deemto be "successful" (and look up to), from those who are not.
Talent, ambition, vision, sacrifice, stick-to-itiveness and resilience are all major qualities I'm sure you'd agree,but I've simply lost count of TOO many absolutely brilliant, creative and serious entrepreneurs who are still wallowing in the mediocrity they sought for so long to rise above. In most cases, it'sheartbreaking.
It really got me thinking about what could possibly be the ONE defining trait or quality ofthose we admire in our quest to be successful. Here's one conclusion I came to.
I've never met an individual who I considered to be truly successful on the personal and business level who wasn'tfilled with good feelings about themselves! The kind of people who can look in the mirror and say "I like you a lot"! More than that, they can exclaim "I love you"!
Sound corny? If you think so, consider this question before you click on to something else:In business, how could you possibly feel good about what you are doing if you didn't feelgood about the person doing it?
Yes, I'm talking about the psycho-cliche of self-esteem. The kind we hear about everyday on talk shows, read aboutin countless self-help and parenting books, and, gratefully see becoming a long-overdue part of the education system in our schools. Feeling not only good, but great about oneself is arguably the most importantsuccess-building characteristic a person can possess!
Think about this. Most of us were NOT raised when the concept of self-esteem was a part of our "fibre", as it is now. Some of us may have been fortunate to have come from families that fortified the fact that "I am good", "I am special" and "I like and love ME!" However, most of us were nutured without learning,and having instilled deep within us, the belief that "I deserve all the good things inthe world I desire". That built-in sense of confidence allows us to grow (and keep growing)in order to be able to have ALL the blessings that life is just waiting to bestow upon us. In other words, SUCCESS!
I thoroughly enjoyed studying world religions in my last yearof high school, when it becamevery clear to me that every"faith" has the concept of self-esteem as a cornerstone of it's beliefs. The Bible has as one of it's injunctions:"Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself".
But doesn't this beg the question, "How could you LoveYour Neighbor, or anything else for that matter, if You CAN'T Love Yourself?" An unfortunate reality that translates into business ie: "Ifyou are not able to love and respect yourself, then how can you expect others to even just respect (and trust) you?" And isn't respect and trust a cornerstone of successful businesses and entrepreneurs?
I've gone so far as to state the following in the new book Iam writing:
"Selfishness is putting the needs of others ahead of your needs. Since when can you give your best to others when you own needs go unattended?"
Something else. The ONLY successful joint ventures I have ever experienced have been with entrepreneurs that were "full of self-confidence", possessing a very high level of self-esteem. Conversely, any time I partnered with someone who was either "full of themselves" (usually a by-product of low self-esteem) or simply had precious little self-esteem in their tank, the bottom fell out!