One of the latest Ted Talks hit my mailbox this week with a surprise speaker who spoke about something that was an even bigger surprise. During the 9 minute video, I was transfixed as I heard Ethan Hawke talk about knowing yourself by playing the fool and giving yourself permission to be creative.
I enjoyed his video and his message so much that I wanted to write this article about the three key points he hit on related to building up self-esteem.
I mean, how could I not?
READING TIME: 5 Mins.
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Indeed, I do enjoy movies, a lot and Mr Hawke is one of my favorites actors. My top three favorite films of his are:
- Gattaca
- Training Day
- Predestination
That’s possibly why I was so absorbed in the Ted Talk video. 😊 But he did talk about knowing yourself, the importance of creativity and not caring what other people think. I just loved that. I’m not going to spoil it by telling you exactly how his talk went, but you can watch it here:
Back to those three key areas for building up your self-esteem:
- Knowing Yourself
- Creativity
- Not caring what others think
I’ll start off with knowing yourself.
Know Yourself, Know Thyself
I spoke about this in a past article but it is SO important that it never hurts to talk about it again. It is fundamental to enjoying life.
Knowing who you are – know what your values are and why you do what you do.
Knowing your core values is part of knowing who you are. Once you figure out what those are you can then live by them and ensure that others are made aware of them too. You need your core values to set personal boundaries. Setting personal boundaries stops others from taking advantage of you as you have told them what you will and won’t accept.
People with high self-esteem have healthy boundaries.
Having unhealthy boundaries is usually a telltale sign of someone who has a low opinion of themselves.
If you think that might be you then get my free The how to Of Personal Boundaries guide and worksheet.
RELATED ARTICLE: The how to Of Personal Boundaries
Repeating old patterns and not making lasting change in your life is a sure sign that you are doing the same things over and over again. And you have no idea why. When you do the work to know yourself and understand why you do the things you do your life completely changes.
You stop doing the things that have tortured you for years and held you back. Peace of mind is an every day state of mind. Both small and big goals are achieved. Living on purpose actually makes sense now. You realize being happy is actually a choice, and you make that choice.
Once you know yourself, you can express yourself and THEN you can truly create.
Creativity Is Vital
How you create and what you create is entirely up to you. You will know that you are creating from the real you because you will feel joy. While creating, you will be lost in the moment, focused and in the flow and time disappears.
Do not ever think for one moment that you are not creative. You may not be able to draw, paint, sculpt, act, or dance.
It matters not.
Being creative can be ANYTHING that YOU create.
Do not put limitations on yourself, free your mind and let go. Be open to try new things. Not sure what you’re good at? FORGET GOOD AND BAD. Throw these concepts out the window.
Just be. Just create.
Like a child, having fun and not caring about the end result or what other people think.
What Other People Think
What other people think of you is none of your business. If you are still thinking like this then you need to work on your self-esteem and self-worth. People with high self-worth KNOW their value and they do not need other people’s validation.
By relying on what other people think of you will have you end up like a whirling dervish. Spinning around trying to please that person and then that person. It will tire you out and make you unhappy.
Do what brings you joy and live by your core values.
Last Thought
Ethan Hawke talks about knowing yourself and putting yourself out there – make mistakes, try new things, speak to people you don’t normally speak to, do things that make you uncomfortable. He says you will feel foolish.
That’s the point – Play the fool.
I say – Let your creativity rip with unmistakeable, confident, blatant energy In Joy!
The name of The Game is Experience so let us experience Connecting and Sharing.
Tell me a story or give me a comment related to your thoughts on knowing yourself, creativity and caring about what others think of you below.
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