
Sometimes we all need a little lift—something to put the bounce back in our step. If you are like many, you may struggle with self-confidence. You may also compare your successes and failures with those of others. If everything is going well in your life, this tactic may temporarily bolster your sense of self-worth. But what happens when things aren’t going so well?
Based on the idea that true self-esteem is grounded in internal, rather than external factors, this book offers 50 easy-to-use mindfulness practices that will help you improve inner awareness and live a more fulfilled life without harsh self-judgment. Mindfulness can help you battle feelings of low self-worth by encouraging you to pay attention to your negative thoughts as they occur, accept them, and ultimately control of how you react to them.
The exercises in this pocket-sized book are intended to be simple, brief, and powerful. These are practices to settle into each morning, perhaps before your cup of tea or coffee, and which can be sprinkled throughout the day when you are at work, play, or home. To help you keep track of your thoughts, the book also includes journaling exercises that will help you discover what actions may have led to feelings of positivity or negativity.
By focusing on your own awareness and thought processes, you will begin to understand what factors cause you to feel bad about yourself, and honestly assess those factors without giving in to feelings of hopelessness. You will discover that true self-esteem has less to do with what the world is telling you, and has everything to do with what you tell yourself.
Sample Meditations
Praise and Endorsements
“50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem is a wonderful and accessible book. Janetti Marotta speaks on the heart of the matter in helping us experience greater wisdom and compassion. This book is a gift!”
—Bob Stahl, PhD, coauthor of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, Living with Your Heart Wide Open, and Calming the Rush of Panic
“If you would like to meet someone truly worthy of your love, who has unlimited reservoirs of loving kindness and compassion to give you in return and who will never leave you as long as you are alive – these simple and sweet mindful steps will not fail you. Take your time, take these steps, and you will find the sweet lover who you’ve always longed for in the least likely of places—in your own heart.”
—Steve Flowers, MS, MFT, author of The Mindful Path through Shyness and coauthor of Living With Your Heart Wide Open
“What a wonderful, warm, compassionate read for those struggling to find self-acceptance. In 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem, Janetti Marotta has provided straight-forward direction for opening the heart to the essential nature of what it means to be human. Using the mindfulness teachings and exercises in this book, anyone can find their way to a sense of self that is whole and acceptable—as is… Not only will I practice these steps myself, but I have already made plans to share this work with friends, family and clients alike. Thank you for this incredible guide to building self-esteem.”
—Robyn D. Walser, PhD, coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Learning ACT and The Mindful Couple, associate director at the National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division, and associate clinical professor at University of California, Berkeley
“What a wonderful book! I was initially enthralled by the interesting chapter titles, but as I began to read became incredibly impressed with the specific, easy-to-understand, and practical nature of the fifty chapters. Janetti Marotta brings such a wealth of personal clinical experience to her writing that she has been able to integrate multiple philosophies and ideas from the ages into an effective, comprehensive, how-to book for anyone looking to improve their life. Her analogies and suggestions are eminently doable and, just like her, overwhelmingly gentle. This is a book for anyone and everyone who is struggling with life issues or just wants to improve their life with simple, everyday actions.”
—G. David Adamson, MD, Director of Fertility Physicians of Northern California and the Fertility and Reproductive Health Institute, Clinical Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Associate Clinical Professor at U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine