Book Review: 50 Ways to Build Unbreakable Self-Esteem

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Written by Julie Mackey, MS, LPC

Embrace Your Greatness: 50 Ways to Build Unshakable Self-Esteem by Judith Belmont, MS

Thanks to New Harbinger Publications for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this appealing book, Judith Belmont posits, and I and many other mental health professionals agree, that self-esteem is the cornerstone to mental health and well-being. Due to its vast importance, she has written this easy to read guide to building and/or strengthening self-esteem.

Right from the beginning I had one of those moments when you put the book down to whisper softly to yourself….yes….YES as I read her words: “Improving self-esteem requires the delicate balance of acknowledging the pain of the past while refusing to give the past more power than the present”.  After Belmont describes the value of improving confidence she asks the reader to take stock of their self-esteem by using a quiz she created to evaluate 10 areas of self-esteem. Each of these areas corresponds to a chapter that follows.

The chapters cover topics that can be troublesome to self-esteem such as self-care, assertiveness, self-compassion and so on. The chapters are broken down into small activities and ideas for concrete ways to make improvements to self-esteem. Along the way Belmont encourages the reader with rallying statements that encourages you to put what you have read into practice and assures you that you are worth it.

One of my favorite chapters covers the often difficult topic of forgiveness. Many people struggle with this concept and her gentle reassurance that forgiveness is healthy and helpful tames this topic into something palatable. She writes, “Even if you don’t think another person deserves your forgiveness, don’t you deserve it?” I love that!

Overall, this book is a must read for anyone struggling with self-esteem and for clinicians who are looking for more ways to help clients feel better about themselves. I definitely recommend it!