This past weekend, I read the biography of Cleopatra VII Philopator. She was of Greek descent, but some scholars speculate she was Black African. She was a transplant by way of Alexander the Great placing her relatives in Egypt to rule after he conquered it. She was the last ruler from the Macedonian, Ptolemy blood line in Egypt that began ruling in 323 BC, and the last queen and pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Cleopatra was one of the most famous and infamous female rulers in history. Her story resonates because of what she represented and accomplished in such a male-dominated society.
In an era when Egypt was roiled by internal and external battles, Cleopatra held the country together and proved to be as powerful a leader as her male counterparts. She was ruthless, but also knew who she was and did not change herself for others. She changed them or the situation. She directed the two most powerful men of her time; Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony of the Roman Empire. And she epitomized the great potential of women who dare to go above and beyond the norm. Why? Because Cleopatra optimized self-esteem and self-worth.
Self-esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect overall emotional evaluation of worth. It is judgment of oneself, as well as an attitude toward self. Self-esteem is also important because of its close relation with psychological well-being. It is the sum of self-confidence and self-respect and exists as a consequence of the implicit judgment that every person has of their ability to face life’s challenges, understand and solve problems, and a right to achieve happiness, be given respect, and an influential predictor of relevant outcomes.
We read many articles about self-worth and self-esteem, but do they drive us to action or change? I think not, for many of us, self-esteem is a foreign word that applies outside our self-consciousness, which makes it very hard to love one’s self. We think that hair textures, eye colors, skin colors, designer clothes, and economic affluence comprise our self-esteem and self-worth. Wrong! We internally are the sum of our self-esteem and only we can allow someone or something to take it away! First you must be conscious that you have self-esteem and self-worth. It lives deep inside your consciousness.
Cleopatra did not tell people who she was or what she could do. She did it and stood behind her decisions with a self-assuredness that left no doubts. This woman had fortitude and self-esteem that drove her to stay focused and accomplish her goals. When Caesar would not take an audience with Cleopatra, she had her servants wrap her in a beautiful rug, and carry her into Caesar’s quarters. Caesar thought he was getting a beautiful rug, but Cleopatra’s servants rolled her out of the rug, naked, instead. Caesar was impressed to say the least.
When strategies on the battlefield were discussed she was right in front directing, and could go toe-to-toe with any man in several different languages. It was also rare that a woman appeared on a coin, but Cleopatra did. This woman knew her self-worth and her self-esteem carried her through to reign as Egypt’s last pharaoh.
Do you know your worth? Ponder the question and decide what value you place on your self-esteem, and then accept nothing less in all areas of your life!
Let us know how you value yourself more each day in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!
Amie Lout says
That’s a great story about Cleopatra! I never really had heard that. My daily thing lately has been using some ideas I picked up from a book by Bermesola Dyer, bermesolamdyer.com is her book site. Her book is called Getting Past The Ugly, and i have found so many useful things that I can do for myself daily to boost empowerment and esteem. I recommend that read, it helped me.