“borrow” some money, she moves to the city, alters her
name, and reinvents her life, thus learning to value
herself.Exercise 6: Finding Unhealthy Thought Patterns
Focusing on the movie you choose to watch, ask
yourself about the characters who thought
negatively about themselves. Can you recognize any
of the unhealthy thought patterns listed above? How
was this character able to let go of self-doubts?
Imagine yourself as the characters when they let go
of their unhealthy thought patterns. What distorted
thoughts about yourself are diminishing as you
“become” them? How does this feel? How do you
see yourself and your environment now? Take some
slow breaths and listen inwardly. Describe your
thoughts about yourself on the issue of jettisoning
self-doubt.Exercise 7: Gaining Self-Esteem
What happened when the movie character you have
watched gained self-esteem? Try to imagine the
positive, realistic thoughts about herself that likely
replaced her harsh inner critic. What positive,
realistic thoughts arise for you as you question and
let go of negative thinking? How does this make you
feel? What impact could this new perspective have
on your life? Listen inwardly. Describe your
experience and your thoughts about yourself around
positive beliefs and increased self-esteem.Step 3: Acknowledging Weaknesses and
Learning from Mistakes
You feel bad about yourself because you made a mistake. In
this case your inner critic serves as an inner voice that makes
Building Self-Esteem 107