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“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”
— Louise L. Hay https://www.louisehay.com
You don’t forget the feeling of being invisible.
In a noisy world of achievers and outgoing classmates, I was the shy kid—quiet in the back row, hoping teachers wouldn’t call on me. I wasn’t dumb. I was surviving. By the time I graduated high school, my GPA was a dismal 0.45. It wasn’t laziness. It was low self-esteem.
The roots of that feeling went deep.
I remember playing right tackle in a flag football game in grade school. My job was to hold the line. But the boy across from me shoved me back. My dad, watching from the sidelines, didn’t understand the game. He thought I was retreating—failing. His criticism stung more than the hit.
Later, I asked him if my friend and I could sign up for baseball. We got to the youth center early and decided to take a short walk. He showed up, found us outside, and chewed me out. I was only trying to play the game right—on and off the field.
Then came the Hudson. My old car needed a new engine, and I scraped together enough to buy a used one. Instead of encouragement, Dad said, “You’ll never get it running.” He didn’t offer to help. Maybe he didn’t believe I could. Maybe he didn’t want me to. I just remember thinking, “I’ll show you.” And I did.
These moments weren’t isolated. They were shaping me—building a belief that I wasn’t good enough, that I couldn’t succeed, that I didn’t deserve to.
“Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on.”
— Maxwell Maltz https://www.psycho-cybernetics.com
But God wasn’t finished with my story.
College changed me. Not overnight. Not dramatically. But slowly and surely. Helen—my wife, friend, and cheerleader—showed me how to study, how to believe in myself, and how to push through discouragement. By senior year, I was on the Dean’s Honor Roll with a GPA just shy of 3.0. I had begun to rewrite my story.
The Holy Spirit changed me even more. Through prayer, Scripture, and wise mentors, I learned who I really was—not the label of failure, but a beloved child of God. The shame I had carried began to lose its grip. With Helen’s encouragement and God’s grace, I traded insecurity for a quiet confidence.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
— Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
If you’ve ever struggled with low self-esteem, I understand. I’ve been there. But I also know this: You are not defined by your past. Your worth is not measured by someone else’s criticism. And it’s never too late to grow into the person God made you to be.
Final Thought:
“God doesn’t call the confident; He calls the called—and gives them confidence.”
Let your past shape you, but don’t let it stop you. Your story isn’t over yet.
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Grace and peace to you in 2025.
In His Service,
Ron