Self-Esteem: Ups and Downs, Smiles and Frowns.

 This is going to be a little off-topic, but if you're a martial artist who believes that philosophy plays a huge part in martial arts, perhaps you'll find it quite relevant.  
 
In life we all have our ups and downs.  Think of the last time you felt down.  Did it last the ENTIRE day?  Or did it just last an hour or two?  
 
My philosophy is that we never really have bad days, only bad hours.  The problem is that we usually dwell on what brings us down during the day.  The darkness dilutes the light and at the end of the day we call it a "bad day."  I never call a day bad.  I call a day good, with some bad hours.  You're probably thinking I'm a cup-is-half-full type of person.  I wouldn't quite go that far, but I would say that I prefer feeling like life is good than life is bad.  
 
The interesting thing about people who have low self-esteem is that they are tricking themselves.  Think about it:  we ALL like ourselves.  We just wouldn't exist if we didn't.  We would have no motive for anything.  Even suicidal people like themselves.  It's a little hard to believe at first, and obviously it is just my opinion, but people don't commit suicide because they hate themselves.  It's because they are selfish, can't stand the life they've created, and are in very deep in the $#%& they've dug themselves into.  Circumstances did not create their anguish.  Their minds were responsible for that.  
 
We are NOT victims of circumstance.   We create our own environment.  It doesn't matter where we are physically, we can be anywhere we want mentally.  The ability to master this concept can be the difference between ultimate happiness and average, day-to-day, monotonous living.  
 
Here are some suggestions on how to achieve this ability:
 
#1  Create structure in your life.
 
#2  Be goal oriented in small and big things
 
#3