Self-esteem is how you perceive yourself, and it’s a very cognitive process that can be detrimental to being your true self. Self-esteem is the way we understand or evaluate our worth and is the ultimate belief we place on ourselves. People with high self-esteem tend to be more comfortable with their true selves and demonstrate a lot more integrity.

Our fear of being judged often lead us to behave in a way that is not aligned with what our heart wants because we want to feel accepted and loved by others.

Here are a few ways you can improve your self-esteem.

1. Appreciate yourself 

Appreciating yourself means that you are OK with who you are and enjoy being by yourself. Have the goal of becoming your best friend. Take some time to hang out with yourself once in a while. It will help you build a level of comfort in being by yourself. Add some self-care during those moments; it will help you increase self-respect.

2. Be proud of your accomplishments

We’ve all accomplished something in our life. It could be as simple as completing your elementary school or getting that job you applied for. Whatever it is, take the time to list the things you’ve accomplished in your life, even if it is as simple as making your bed!

3. Recognize your skills

Every one of us is good at something. If it’s hard for you to identify those skills, ask someone around you to help list a few abilities that you have. It can be hard skills like carpentry, drawing, or cooking. It could also be a soft skill like listening, compassion, or empathy.

4. Learn to love your body

Learning to love our bodies is probably one of the most significant accomplishments we can make in our life. Some studies show that 40% of men and over 90% of women are unhappy with their bodies. That is almost unreal! Loving your body is about self-talk (which will be covered in chapter 9) but also about self-respect. Be your best friend and treat your body the same way you would treat your child or best friend. Be kind, compassionate, and supportive.

Compassion toward ourselves will often lead to better self-esteem and higher self-confidence. So equip yourself with patience and kindness toward yourself and try to be more appreciative of who you are. You would be amazed at how life can change with a little self-love.

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize your emotional state and find ways to stay in balance. When you practice self-awareness, you are automatically allowing yourself to be a better version of yourself and not let your emotions take control of you.

Being self-aware simply means that you can observe yourself from a non-judgmental perspective. When you are self-aware, you can catch yourself in the present moment experiencing a specific state, reaction, or feeling. The more you are aware of your emotions and behaviors, the more you start to understand yourself. Here are six reasons why you want to improve your self-awareness:

1. Helps you align with your true self

The ultimate reward to being self-aware is your ability to recognize when you are not in alignment with your true self. It is the opportunity to be authentic and therefore be in integrity with yourselves. Self-awareness is the key to becoming the best version of yourself. Self-awareness will help you in your daily life with identifying moments when you are not yourself, where you react from a place of fear or anger. When you become aware of that, it becomes easier to realign with the best version of yourself.

2. Experience a greater ability to recognise your emotions

Self-awareness means that you can observe yourself and mostly your emotions. Instead of being reactive or dramatic, you can notice and acknowledge that some situation has triggered an emotional reaction. It will help you prevent actions or words that are often said or done in the heat of emotions. 

3. Improve your critical thinking

The more you practice self-awareness, the more you become positively critical of yourself. That way, you don’t behave with a fake identity or act your life.

4. Improve your relationships

Self-awareness can help improve relationships because you stop trying to please the other person and intuitively align yourself with who you truly are. Showing a side of you that is authentic and genuine.

5. Live in the present moment

Self-awareness is observing yourself in real-time and therefore encourage mindfulness. 

6. Experience more joy and happiness

When you are self-aware, you can immediately acknowledge when you are experiencing something that doesn’t feel good or right. Within a moment, you can shift what you are doing to something more pleasing, more fun. By observing yourself, you will become more conscious of the things you enjoy doing and what you don’t like. It will become your compass to happiness.

Wounds from the past are significant barriers to claiming your powers. Those wounds are the following:

1. Rejection

Rejection is a profound wound because the one who suffers from it feels rejected in his being and especially in his right to exist. In terms of behavior, they often doubt their right to exist. They seek solitude because if they receive a lot of attention, they would be afraid of not knowing what to do. They don’t know what to do with themselves when they get too much attention.

2. Injustice

People with the injustice wound are usually rigid and lack flexibility. Often a perfectionist and envious. These individuals tend to cut themselves off from their feelings and often cross their arms. They try to be perfect and justifies themselves a lot. They find it difficult to admit that they have problems. They often doubt their choices. They like order and tend to control themselves by demanding a lot from each other.

3. Humiliation

People with the humiliation wound are often ashamed of themselves and others or afraid to shame others. They think they are dirty or unclean. They don’t want to recognize and assume their sensuality and their love of the pleasures associated with the senses. That is why they often compensate and reward themselves with food. And they gain weight quickly to give themselves a reason not to enjoy their senses.

4. Abandonment

The wound experienced in the case of abandonment is the second deepest after that of rejection because they both affect the being at a profound level. Those who suffer from abandonment do not feel emotionally nourished enough. They think that they cannot do anything on their own and regularly needs someone to support them. They tend to dramatize a lot: the smallest little incident takes on gigantic proportions.

5. Betrayal

The wound of betrayal is intimately related to the wound of abandonment. Very uncompromising, they want to show others what they are capable of. They often interrupt and respond before a person is finished. When things don’t go fast enough to their liking, they become angry. They hate not being trusted and do not always keep their commitments and promises or forces themselves to keep them.

By being aware of your behaviors and wounds, you are getting to know yourself better and also understanding why you tend to behave in specific ways.

We all know someone who seems to be very genuine and authentic and live a very happy life. It is sometimes difficult to comprehend what they do to get there. We’ve done the research, and here are four things that these people do that you might want to consider doing in the future.

1. They are in integrity with their true self

Authentic people are genuine, real, and mostly, in integrity with themselves. They don’t try to be someone they are not or please people they don’t know. They, in some ways, know that they are unique but accept that aspect of themselves. For them, being different is not an issue nor something they thrive to be; they are just themselves.

2. They do what the love

Authentic people also love doing what they enjoy and don’t try to copy others’ ideas for the sake of being successful. Their success comes from doing what is in their heart, what drives them, as opposed to what inspire others or the majority. When you do the things that you love, you are being authentic, you are exposing the best version of yourself, and that’s why it is fulfilling.

3. They are in tune with their inner child

Another way to reconnect with your true and authentic self is to rediscover your inner child, the one that didn’t care about what others thought. Try to be more like your inner child and awaken that aspect of you that you knew when you were young, but somehow, you’ve disconnected from growing up. Take the time to play again, to make mistakes, forgive and try something else. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and do what your heart tells you to do, no matter what others may think. And most of all, learn to live in the present moment.

4. They don't compare themselves with others

One of the best ways to connect with your authentic self is to stop comparing yourself to others. When you compare yourself to others, you automatically feed a belief that you should be like others, that being yourself is not enough. This limits you from being yourself and making it OK. Most of us often compare ourselves to others because we have that belief that others have it better than us. This can transform into envy or jealousy.

Being your best self is not easy in a world where you can easily get lost in fakeness and perfection. Here are three steps to help you find your best self and show it to the world. 

1. Be aware of yourself

Have you ever felt like your behavior and the way that you held yourself varied depending on who is around you and where you are? We tend to play a different role when we are with individuals that we want to please or want to make sure that they like us. For example, you might behave in a completely different way if you are at work or with people you just met and want to be friends with them. We tend to be ourselves when we are at home or with childhood friends. That is when we let our guards down and become more vulnerable and less worried about how others might perceive us. Be aware of yourself when you change to please others that will help you. 

2. Explore your emotional triggers

In the previous step, you’ve learned a little bit more about yourself in various situations of life. Let’s continue on this journey to explore what triggers an emotional response in you. When we are triggered by something external to us, we tend to blame others for what we are experiencing. Blaming others for our state of mind and situation is living a victim mindset. The faster you can learn to stop reacting to others, the faster your mindset will shift to be more in alignment with your best self. Let’s reflect on those things that trigger an emotional reaction in you. It’s not always easy, but when you face your emotional triggers, you bring it to light and immediately allow yourself to shine brighter than ever!

3. Connect with your authentic self

Authentic people are genuine, real, and mostly, in integrity with themselves. They don’t try to be someone they are not or please people they don’t know. For them, being different is not an issue nor something they thrive to be; they are just themselves, and that’s where personal power comes from. Take a moment to identify three things that make you happy and fulfill a space in your heart. Now find ways to do more of that. When you do the things that you love, you are claiming your power.

Being your true self is, for some people, a lifetime of self-exploration. Although, if you apply the three secrets in this article, you don’t have to wait your whole life to be your true self.

1. Surround yourself with those who see you

We are often who we hang out with. Take the time to reflect on the people you interact with on the relationships you have in your life. Are those relationships inspiring? Do you like the person you are around your friends and family?

It is so important to surround ourselves with people who like or love us for who we truly are. Take the time to nurture the relationships that inspire you to be the best version of yourself and learn to create healthy boundaries with the relationships that bring you down. You have control over who you develop a relationship with or not. That is how you will step into your power by respecting yourself and allow healthy relationships to develop and grow.

2. Learn to love yourself

Our surroundings are often a projection of our internal landscape. If the first secret makes you realize that you might not be nurturing great relationships, it might be an opportunity to reflect on your relationship with yourself. Do you love your physical body, or are you constantly criticizing it? Are you comfortable being by yourself?

By developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself, you are slowly allowing your true self to shine. This type of change will also attract people who love you for who you are and increase your happiness in life. 

3. Listen to your inner voice

Our inner voice is probably one of the most important types of communication and, by far, the most influential. Take a moment to bring awareness to your self-talk. Are you kind to yourself? Are you your biggest fan or your worse critic? By observing your self-talk, you can shift the negative communication to yourself with something more positive, more empowering.

Being your true self is not about perfection but about embracing who you are, flaws and beauty. When you shift your inner voice to be more positive, you will notice that you respect yourself more and understand yourself better. A simple way to change your inner voice is to express gratitude toward yourself daily, that will slowly help you build positive self-talk.

We all face barriers in our life, and sometimes we wish we had a magic wand to make them disappear. We haven’t found that magic wand yet, but we have two tips for you that might help you knock down those barriers you are facing today.

1. Be self-aware

Being self-aware simply means that you can observe yourself from a non-judgmental perspective. When you are self-aware, you can catch yourself in the present moment experiencing a specific state, reaction, or feeling.

The more you are aware of your emotions, the more you start to understand yourself. For example, you might observe that you tend to be reactive when someone provides you with a suggestion on how to do something different, or you catch yourself nervously laughing at a situation that isn’t funny. When you are aware of your emotions, you have a better idea of who you are and how you tend to react in certain situations. It is also the best way to improve yourself on certain aspects that you don’t find optimal. You become less driven by drama.

Not only will self-awareness help you remove the barriers in your life, but it will also help you with the following:

* Experience a greater ability to recognize your emotions

* Improve your critical thinking

* Improve your relationships 

* Live in the present moment

* Experience more joy and happiness

Self-awareness is the key to live a life without barriers.

2. Build your self-esteem

Self-esteem is the way we perceive or evaluate our worth and is the ultimate belief we place on ourselves. People with high self-esteem tend not to see problems as a barrier but an opportunity for growth. On the other hand, people with low self-esteem will often stop themselves from doing something because they feel they are not capable of.

You can increase your self-esteem by appreciating yourself. Have the goal of becoming your best friend. Take some time to hang out with yourself once in a while. It will help you build a level of comfort in being by yourself. Add some self-care during those moments; it will help you increase self-respect. Compassion toward ourselves and self-love will often lead to better self-esteem and higher self-confidence. No barriers will stand in your way.

Embracing failure probably sounds odd to you, but it's really not. In this article, you're going to find out why you need to learn how to accept and embrace failure if you want to achieve anything in life.

1. Failure teaches you things that even success can't

One of the best teachers in life is failure. It forces to look at yourself, and your surroundings, in an entirely different light. Things you may not have known before will come rushing to the surface, and youíll be surprised why you didnít think of that previously.

Successful people get to live the life they've always wanted. They worked hard to be where they're at. But, before they got to that point, they probably failed in one or more ways. And I can assure you that when they did, they learned from their mistakes.

2. Failure makes you stronger and more resilient

The more times you fail, the stronger and more resilient you become. You feel like you can't go any lower, and the only way to is up. That kind of mentality is just plain awesome, itís the kind of mindset successful people have.

How far lower can you go if you've already reached the lowest point? Needless to say, when you embrace failure, expect to come out stronger in the end.

3. Failure teaches you new opportunities

When you fail, you hit an invisible wall. You canít go beyond that wall. So what do you do?

You go exploring, of course. If youíre not afraid of failure, you can easily find new opportunities, new ways to knock down that wall and reach your destination.

You donít go sulking in the corner, feeling sorry for your failure and your mistakes. No, thatís not what winners do.

4. Failure forces you to think outside the box

If you really want to succeed at something, and you can't seem to go beyond your failure, you need to start thinking outside the box. What's in the theoretical box wonít help you succeed, so you're forced to look elsewhere.

That is the beauty of embracing failure and where others see only the four walls of their "box", those who don't fear failure will find a way out. Needless to say, those that do manage to think outside the box pave a clearer path towards success.

Failure is one of lifeís greatest teachers, just ask anyone who's failed and used it as a stepping stone towards success. If you're not sure if you will actually learn anything from failing, then continue reading this article. I promise youíll learn something useful.

1. You need to get out of your comfort zone

Itís impossible to achieve your dreams if you don't get out of your comfort zone. Pursuing dreams doesn't mean just planning how to achieve it though that's also very important.

It means you have to push your boundaries, you have to do something thatís uncomfortable for you, at first. When you get more comfortable with one foot out your comfort zone, get the other foot out.

When you're fully outside your comfort zone, chasing your dreams will be so much easier!

2. Get an experienced mentor

Mentors are there for a reason. These are people who've been in your place. People who've failed many times over but managed to succeed.

You want someone like this to help you figure out how to reach your goals. They've already got the experience, you just need to ask them to share it with you so yourself can move forward, too.

3. Keep yourself motivated even when you fail

Everything is easier when you have someone to share your ups and downs with. Whether it's a loved one or a mentor, find someone you can trust 100%. Because when you fail, they'll help you pick up the pieces. They'll cheer you on so you donít feel like giving up. The road to success is lonely, but it doesnít have to be so.

4. Never lose hope and continue fighting for your dreams

When you fall flat on your face, it's not reason enough to quit if you really want something badly. No matter how difficult or impossible it may seem, if you believe in yourself, then you'll be more likely to continue fighting. Never lose hope, the moment you do, youíll have succumbed to failure.

5. Youíll learn to explore new avenues and new opportunities

When you fail because you've hit a wall, and you find it hard to find your way around that wall, it's time to maybe try taking a step backward and assess the situation.

See if you can find another way around that wall. Failure gives you the opportunity to look and explore the wall until you find an entry point or opening to your dreams.

People fail due to a variety of reasons. In this article, you're going to find out the top 3 reasons why most people fail so you can learn to avoid the same outcome.

1. People don't plan well enough

It's so easy to have goals and dreams in life. You look at something beautiful, and you immediately think to yourself "I'm going to have that," or "I'm going to live in a house like that someday." See, it's even easy to say it out loud.

But, do you know how you can go about achieving that dream?

Do you know how you're going to get from Point A (where you are right now) to Point B (the realization of your dream)?

If you're serious about going after your dream, you're going to have to do a lot of planning to get there. No, not just a basic step 1 to 5 sort of plan.

Instead, you should have an extremely detailed and very specific action plan of how you intend to achieve your goals. For instance, a daily plan, a weekly or monthly plan, even a 1-year or 5-year action plan.

2. Lack the self-discipline to stick to plans

Even if you have the most specific and most actionable plan in the world, if you donít have the self-discipline to stick to it, then your plan will have been for nothing!

You would have been better off not planning at all if you're not going to have the self-discipline to stick to your plan. At least, your time would have been put to good use!

Building self-discipline will take a lot of time, so if you are planning on achieving any sort of big dream in the next year or so, then you better get a head start now!

3. Giving up too soon

Hindsight is always 20/20, and regrets always happen at the end, never at the beginning of the journey. When people encounter difficulties, they throw in the towel immediately. They don't want to spend any more time on fixing the problems, and would rather choose to do something a lot less problematic.

Failures are a normal occurrence when youíre chasing a dream. Successful people didn't give up at first sight of trouble. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended up successful. Think about this the next time you think about quitting!

Failing is easy, it's the bouncing back from failure that's difficult. In this article, you're going to find out the five easy steps you can take to overcome failure.

1. Embrace failure

When you learn to embrace failure, you will see it's not so bad. There are so many benefits of failing, but you'll never recognize these if you don't embrace failure in the first place.

When you accept failure as something that needs to happen, then you can easily move on to the next step. Otherwise, you'll find it hard to look beyond your failure.

2. Analyze your failure

Now that you've learned to accept your failure, retrace your steps. Go back to your notes and find out what misstep you took.

Analyze your processes until you find the reason why you failed.

When you've isolated that reason, don't ignore it. Instead, use it as a tool to help you move forward, that is, learn from your failures.

3. Regroup and think of another approach

So, now you've isolated the reason or reasons for your previous failure. Try to map out the next steps you should be taking.

This would be your Plan B, Plan C, or however many plans you need to take until you find one that works. If plan B doesn't work, then go to plan C, and so on.

4. Believe that you can do it

With self-belief, you will be able to convince not just yourself but the people around you, that you can indeed succeed at whatever you put your mind to. You've planned for this moment, you've already learned from your failures.

You just need to believe that you'll find the perfect plan or strategy that will lead to your ultimate success. If you don't believe in yourself, then chances are youíre never going to find success.

5. Have the self-discipline to see it through until the end

Self-discipline is so important in our lives. Without it, you will be distracted by all forms of temptations and distractions. You'll never be able to get anything done.

The moment your friends come calling, you'll ignore the fact that youíve still got a lot of items left on your daily to-do list. That kind of behavior is not going to help you succeed.

If you want to eventually end up successful, you need to work on building your self-discipline.

Making peace with failure is important if you want to succeed in life. Some failures in the past may have scarred you for life, but it doesn't mean you should give up altogether. In this article, you're going to find out a few tips on how you can make peace with failure.

1. Take a deep breath and find out why you failed

If you're stuck in the past, and you can't seem to move forward from your mistakes, then you need to revisit what exactly went wrong. You need to have closure, so to speak. Without it, youíll find it difficult to ever let go of the past.

So, try your best to figure out whatever caused your plan to fail. Once you figure it out, itís time to do the next step.

2. Think about what you could have done differently

Run the scenes leading up to the failure in your mind, and think about what you could have done differently. Run a few scenarios in your head, and look for the best course of action you should be taking.

3. Set your mind to getting back up

To move forward with your failure, it's time to set your mind to get back up and get out of the comfort zone you've been hiding in. It might be hard at first, but if you take one small step at a time, youíll soon find yourself well outside your comfort zone.

4. Be ready to start taking risks

Outside your comfort zone is where all the risk-taking and the fun begins. Donít be afraid of risk. If you ever want to make peace with failure, you're going to have to get your hands dirty again. You've got to get to work and follow the course of action youíve decided on in the previous step.

5. Believe that you can succeed

Overcoming failure begins with the right mindset. You're going to have to believe that you can beat the odds, and somehow find a way to succeed. Yes, it may sound like a herculean task, but if you believe in yourself, then thereís no reason for you not to succeed.

The truth is, you may fail over and over again. But if you believe in yourself, youíll find yourself getting up faster every time you fall. As long as you keep on learning from your mistakes, then success will soon be within arm's reach!

When you've failed many times, you'll realize that failing is not so bad. In fact, youíll learn a lot from it. In this article, you're going to discover a few things failure can teach you about success.

1. It helps you redefine your priorities

You think you have a lot on your plate right now, and you barely have enough time for yourself, let alone your family. You're 100% focused on achieving your goals, you're giving it your all, and youíre giving almost nothing to yourself and your loved ones.

But when you fail, you'll realize that all those material things arenít important. It's the quality of life you live. You'll look around you, and you'll see what a mess you've made of yourself. You've distanced yourself from your family, all in the name of your dream.

When you realize that, you'll come to grips with your failure, and youíll learn that if you want to succeed, then you have to redefine your priorities. You have to be more inclusive so that when you fail again, it's not going to hurt as bad as the first time.

2. You learn to improve yourself and your skills

When you learn from your failures, you may realize that you lack a set of skills needed to achieve your goals. You take stock of your current skills, and you re-educate yourself, or you find a mentor who can help you build the right skills.

With your new and improved self, you'll be better able to tackle the challenges that will come your way. You'll be better prepared, and youíll be more likely to succeed on your next attempt.

3. You need to want to succeed

This may sound obvious, but to some people, this isnít always the case. In fact, some people think that just because they've identified something as their ultimate dream or goal in life, then they automatically want it.

But when they fail, as they often will, they realize they didnít want it that badly in the first place. So they get discouraged, and they choose to discontinue their journey.

However, if they did, in fact, wanted that dream, their passion, then they would have been more willing to overcome failure just to achieve it. Being passionate about your dream is extremely important so you can succeed in life.

Theodore Roosevelt said it best, "With self-discipline, most anything is possible". In this article, you'll learn why self-discipline is so important for success.

1. It teaches you to persevere

Perseverance is an important aspect of success because the road to achieving your dreams is full of potholes and roadblocks. You'll need to navigate your way around them though sometimes you may lose focus and youíll drive straight into them.

If you give up too soon, if you don't persevere, then you'll find it hard to succeed at anything. However, if you've got self-discipline, it will be easier for you to stick to your plans until you finally succeed. Of course, it will be your self-discipline that will let you create those highly actionable plans in the first place.

2. It teaches you to reject temptations and distractions

One of the most common reasons why people fail at life is because they lack the self-discipline necessary to reject temptations and distractions. The most successful people in the world have mastered self-discipline, and that is why they succeed in almost everything they put their mind to.

Successful people know when to say no, and they know the appropriate times they can afford to goof off or reward themselves. They don't say yes to everything that comes their way, rather they way their options. If it's something that will contribute to their goals, then yes. But if itís something that will be counterproductive, then it will be a big no for them.

Now, your average person will say yes to most of the things that come their way, even if it will set them back from their goals. And this is mainly the reason why thereís a huge divide between ordinary people and the ultra-successful ones.

3. It teaches you self-control

There will be times when you'll find it hard to get out of bed. You'll probably be overwhelmed by the failures you've encountered the day before.

But if you have self-discipline, you'll be able to control your actions better. You know that you need to get up, so that's what you do. You overcome procrastination, and you double down on what needs to be done.

Self-control helps you avoid doing things you shouldnít be doing. With self-control, your mind can take control of your body. Even if your body wants to give in to temptations, your self-control will tell you to say no.

We're all supposed to love ourselves, and everyone in their right minds would say they love themselves. But when it comes to success, many people lack the belief that they can actually succeed at anything, which is quite sad, to be honest. So, in this article, you're going to be learning four different ways believing in yourself will help you become successful.

1. It will be easier to succeed if you actually believe you can do it

If you want to achieve something, you're going to have to ask yourself, "Do I really think I can do this?"

If you answered in the affirmative, then good for you. However, if you hesitated, or if you said "no" outright, then you need to change your mindset. When you doubt your abilities and your skills, you'll find it hard to proceed with your goals. A lot of people may discourage you from going after your dreams.

Now, if you don't believe in yourself, then you're not going to be able to do a good job of convincing others that you can succeed at anything.

2. You build self-confidence that is essential to succeeding in life

Believing that you can do it will help you build self-confidence. When you're confident, you'll be able to convince yourself and the people around you to do your bidding. They're not going to doubt for a moment that you're going to succeed.

It might be tough when you think about it, but if you really believe in yourself, then you know that youíll do whatever it takes to achieve your dreams.

3. You develop a more positive attitude and let go of negative ones

When you believe in yourself, you develop a can-do attitude. You say "yes" to everything that can help you reach your goals faster, and "no" to anything that will set you back.

4. You become more optimistic about your future

Believing in yourself will make you more positive about your future. Nothing can stop you in your tracks and prevent you from progressing any further.

You view failure as nothing more than a temporary setback, and you wonít let it hinder you from reaching your goals.

Your self-belief will allow you to see through opportunities that are hiding in plain sight, and because of this, your future will look so much brighter than it does now.

We’ve all got our comfort zones. And to be honest, they are pretty important. It’s where we are able to do the things we love without being worried about what other people will say. It shelters us from the rest of the world. 

It might come as a surprise, however, but if you want to succeed in life, then you’re going to have to step out of your comfort zone. Here are 3 ways your comfort zone is helping you fail:

1. It’s not letting you grow

When you remain for far too long in your comfort zone, you’re not growing. You’re stuck in a status quo. You’re trapped in limbo because you’re not out exploring new things, learning about new stuff.

Your talents will all be wasted because you’re not progressing into what you want to be. You’re not able to explore your potential, and you’re not able to live your life to the fullest.

If you want to grow as a person, and you want to go chase your life’s goals, then you have to step outside your comfort zone. You’re going to have to grow up and face the real challenges in the outside world.

2. It’s not letting you take risks

Part of the journey to succeeding in life is taking risks. Whether it be small risks or huge life-changing risks, you’re going to have to take it whether you like it or not.

If you can’t even take the risk of stepping out of your comfort zone for even a single second, then you’re not going to find success in anything.
You’ll be trapped doing the same thing over and over until you’re gone from this world. If you want to see or do something different, then you’re going to have start learning how to take risks and accept the outcome.

3. It’s not letting you experience the world in real time

When you’re in your comfort zone, you’re stuck in a time loop. You’re using the same techniques and the same methods from when you started hiding out in your comfort zone.

You’re too afraid to experiment and try out new technologies which can help you grow. You’re living life extra cautiously, always peeking in from the outside, never in the center of things. When you live like this, you’ll never be able to succeed at anything.

It might sound crazy, but the reality is, making mistakes is indeed good for you. You may be surprised at some of the reasons why, so keep on reading this article to know more!

1. You learn what you need to improve on

If you’ve got a checklist of things you need to do for your system to work, and you make a mistake, then you know you need to remove that item from your list and replace it with a much better option. 

In short, mistakes help you improve your systems and processes. Through trial and error, you’re making your systems run more efficiently and effectively.

2. Making mistakes mean you’re taking action

At least you’re doing something right? If you’re not doing anything, you’re never going to find out if something’s working or not. You’ll just assume it’s working because that’s what it says on the theoretical tin box.

But when you take action, you learn which methods and which processes are wrong or are not a good fit for your system.

3. Mistakes make you smarter

When you make mistakes, you’re forced to think of another way to make sure your system runs correctly. By experimenting, you become smarter than you were before you failed.

By committing mistakes, your mind is able to think outside the box. You start getting creative just to arrive at a solution that will help fix your problems, whatever it may be.

4. Mistakes give you another opportunity to start over

Just because you made a mistake or you failed doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Far from it, in fact. Because when you make a mistake, it gives you a fresh start, an opportunity to start over. And while you’re rebooting, you can go through and review your processes and see how you can further improve it. 

5. Mistakes help build your character

Fail a number of times, and you start developing a thicker skin. It makes you less sensitive to criticism and rejections. In short, mistakes make you tougher.

But, on the other hand, you also become much more compassionate, you become more willing to help other people who have made the same mistakes. You share what you know, and people like you for it. You become a much better person overall.

Our body needs vitamins and minerals to function properly, and we obtain many of them from the food we eat. The vitamins and minerals that a woman needs vary depending on her age group, lifestyle, activity levels, and medical conditions.

Here are a few essential vitamins and minerals that a woman needs, and foods to obtain them from.

Calcium

As you age, your risk of developing osteoporosis increases, which is why calcium is important. Calcium helps keep bones healthy, minimizing the dangers of fractures. Calcium also helps ensure you're your brain and muscles can communicate efficiently with each other. When you reach 50, your daily requirements are 1,200 mg of calcium.

Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, low-fat yogurt, tofu, orange juice, cereals, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D

People don't often get enough vitamin D from the sun, which is the best source of this vitamin. Vitamin D works with vitamin C in keeping bones healthy. This vitamin also reduces inflammation in the cells and boosts your immune system.

Women who are in the postmenopausal stage, obese, or if they don't have enough exposure to the sun need vitamin D the most. If you are in your 50s, make sure that you get 600 UI of vitamin D daily. Those women who are 70 years old should be getting 800 UI per day.

There are not many foods that contain this essential vitamin, so make sure that you include tuna, salmon, fortified low-fat milk, soy beverages, and cereals in your diet.

Folate

Bearing a child places big demands on a woman's body. This is a time when you need folic acid or folate. Whether you are pregnant or planning to fall pregnant, folate supplements are often recommended. Folate helps your body produce new blood cells and support the development of the baby in your womb to prevent birth defects.

When you are of childbearing age or up to 50 years old, the daily recommended folate amount is 400 mcg. This increases to 600 mcg when you're pregnant and 500 mcg when you are breastfeeding. Folate is available in many vegetables, such as spinach, beans, broccoli, potatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the body, supporting countless functions from blood pressure regulation, bone growth, cognitive development, and many more. Magnesium helps prevent bone loss, ensures a healthy pregnancy, regulates sugar levels, and decreases risks of heart disease and diabetes.

Women of all ages need magnesium, but those who are 40 years and older need more magnesium for bone health.

Magnesium-rich foods include nuts, such as almonds and peanuts, avocado, quinoa, spinach, yogurt, and tofu.

Iron

Aside from creating healthy blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body, iron is an essential mineral for reproductive organs and body functions. It helps produce certain hormones, as well as connective tissues. Menstruation causes women to lose a significant amount of iron every month. Not enough iron in the body can lead to anemia. Pregnant women also need more iron to supply enough blood for the baby in the womb.

Women in the 19 to 50 years of age group need 18 mg of iron daily, while those aged 51 and older need 8 mg. When you are pregnant, you need as much as 27 mg every day.

Ensure that your diet includes lean red meat, chicken, liver, tofu, spinach, seafood, nuts, strawberries, orange juice, fish, and eggs.

Summary

Vitamins and minerals are vital for overall well-being, although women need some of them in different amounts than men do. They help you produce energy, heal wounds, have a stronger immune system, produce red blood cells, and maintain healthy bones.

Usually, you should be able to get sufficient of the right vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat. However, if you suspect that you are not getting enough nutrients from your diet, it is best to consult your doctor. Don't just start taking multivitamins, especially if you are experiencing symptoms of medical conditions, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.