Do you sometimes suffer from a low self-esteem? Do you sometimes feel like your life is not worth living? Perhaps you feel you'll never rise above your current status in life. Ever stopped to analyze the thoughts behind those feelings at the time?

If you did, you'd notice that those times that you feel negative about yourself, chances are you're thinking pretty bad thoughts about yourself. Put another way, you're listening to the wrong voice within.

You know, the voice that rushes to put you down at the first hint of progress in any area of your life. It's that inner 'demon' or 'gremlin' as some call it, and we all have one. It tells you 'you're no good', 'who do you think you are', 'you're a failure', and so on.

The problem with this is that more often than not, you believe the thoughts are true. Here's something for you to think about:

The fact that you hold a thought in your mind doesn't make that thought true.

Good thing is that you also have a still small voice within you which tells you good things about yourself. However, because the world around you agrees more with the words of the 'gremlin' (tune into any newscast and all you hear is how bad things are and how bad people are), you tend to accept the gremlin's words as gospel.

It's up to you to choose which thoughts you hold true. If you want to achieve any worthwhile objective, then reject thoughts that prevent you from achieving it. If you don't, these thoughts will become beliefs - so-called limiting beliefs because they limit you from attempting and achieving things you'd otherwise do.

Decide to listen to that other voice inside you, the quiet one that encourages you to 'go for it', 'you can do it'. Agree with that voice that whispers good things about you. These thoughts empower you to achieve success when you hold them in your mind consistently.

Remember that if you think a certain thought long enough, you start to believe it's true. And what you believe determines your behaviour.

Your beliefs determine your reality, and your belief stem from your thoughts. You have the power to choose your thoughts, which inner voice you accept.

Choose who you're going to listen to. Which of your inner voices will have the upper hand? What are you going to believe about yourself?

Once you have a sound belief in yourself and your abilities, it won't matter what others think or say. You will be self-assured and won't need others' approval in order to feel good about yourself or go out and achieve what you (know) you're truly capable of.

It pays to listen to the right voices, so start listening right today.