Mankind has long recognised that not everything can be subjected to scientific examination and proof - particularly in relation to matters of the mind. In this article former stage hypnotist and now motivational, conference speaker John Bell gives his thoughts on the subject of self-esteem and confidence.

Self-esteem has much to do with a confidence in your own merit as an individual. It is about how you value and appreciate yourself, a value we attribute to our own self-image.

People that succeed in life are usually considered to have a high self-esteem and a positive mental attitude. They come over to others as being self-confident in their ability to succeed at what it is they are doing. Confidence is not so much about thinking you are in some way better than everyone else, but is a belief in your attributes and, where necessary, sufficient faith to put those attributes into action.

As a psychological quality, self-esteem is not something you can turn on and off like a light. It has however, something to do with a method of thinking that can be taught and, when practised, can become self-perpetuating, resulting in a noticeable improvement in confidence. Once acquired it becomes one of the most important attributes you can nurture in life.

If an individual can be encourage to develop a high self-esteem he or she will learn how to become more self reliant and confident in their ability, not only to cope, but to excel at whatever it is they wish to achieve. It is not an arrogance or vanity. It is an ability to be assertive where necessary without coming over as overly aggressive. High self-esteem and confidence are traits that are admired by most and desired by many.

They are an inner state of dignity that is externally displayed to others. People like to be around those who exude high self-esteem and confidence. Such people have an aura that indicates a high level of self-worth. It comes over to others as an admired confidence and general feeling of well-being. It is about feeling good about ones self and can have a direct effect on all things in life - including work and social relationships.

Others measure your level of confidence in a number of different ways. It effects how you physically appear. Negative non-verbal communication (NVC) suggests a low-level of confidence. Become more conscious of the NVC you may be displaying and you can start having more control over how others perceive you. Crouch forward as you walk and observers will think differently towards you were they to see you to walk with straight back and head held high. Too high and people may think you were quite literally ‘looking down your nose at them’.

The level of self-confidence an individual has can often be connected to impressions he holds about himself and are based on his successes and failures. Failure, if not checked, can breed further failure.

Self-esteem can also be affected by the way people perceive themselves physically. If a person views their appearance in a negative light, this is likely to reflect in their body language, and will make them appear far less confident. A high self-esteem is a vital ingredient in this thing we call ‘success’. The way you feel about yourself has an effect upon the way you feel about others, and the way they feel about you. These feelings become part of our beliefs.

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