Build self esteem shared by Martin Short

By Kelly Clark / Connect

Martin Short shares how to build self esteem
Be yourself and connect to the world through your interests
When you build self esteem it helps you lose weight

CBC’s Wendy Mesley interviewed comedian Martin Short because he’s hosting the Canadian Screen Awards for the second year in a row.

The interview started with questions about Martin’s career and a few flirty digs about why he’s done a lot of work in the States instead of Canada. From there topics ranged from how Martin Short came up with his Ed Grimley character (it started as a joke between friends), Canadian Politics (Rob Ford is too narcissistic to realize the joke is on him) and why he doesn’t use Twitter (it creates pressure, like a daily exam).

When Wendy asked Martin how to build self esteem, the conversation got deeper.

Martin Short shares how to build self esteem

I think it comes from your friends. Your wife, your kids … the world you create … The world that you feel comfortable in …

-Martin Short on how to build self esteem

This answer is brilliant. It’s something everyone can learn from.

You can create your own world. How? Martin explains that when you invest in your tribe – the people you care about who care about you – you’ll find a sense of purpose and belonging. And that’s how you build self esteem.

Martin’s empowering message helps you break free

Have you ever felt trapped? As we walk through life it’s easy to end up somewhere you don’t feel you belong. Dominant personalities can make the dynamics in a classroom or office difficult. Isolating behaviour happens in families too.

Martin’s Short’s build self esteem message is a great solution for people of all ages.

To me it suggests that rather than feel locked into a world where we don’t feel comfortable, we should do something about it! For instance:

join a sports team
volunteer at an animal shelter or wildlife centre, food bank or library
start a book club, craft group or monthly clothing swap

… There’s a big world out there made up of many tiny worlds. Getting involved in your interests builds a bridge from one world to another. Follow your interests! They help you overcome obstacles and introduce you to like-minded people.

After 10 years of trying to lose weight I’d dropped out of everything I cared about. I thought this would give me more time to focus on getting healthy. Instead it allowed me to put all my energy behind the wrong weight-loss information. Getting busy with the things I love to do was a turning point for me. My interests helped pull me out of the deep hole I’d dug. I got too busy to fixate on mistakes. I had to keep moving forward. My interests were a big part of the solution, along with having good information. Understanding what healthy eating and healthy exercise look like were also a huge part of getting healthy.

Change your life by creating your own world

Don’t feel isolated or confined by the worlds you feel stuck in.

You can save yourself.

Anyone who’s watched the news knows the disastrous effect bullying can have when kids feel like the classroom is their whole world. We need to teach young people and remind adults, to build bridges between the bubble they feel trapped in and all the other opportunities that exist. Then they can connect with other people.

Find those pockets of kindred spirits (I love Anne of Green Gables) outside of school or work and create your own community.

Make your own world, full of people you admire and activities you value. Make choices you believe in and they’ll keep you moving in the right direction. Connect to the world through your interests.

When you understand you can create your own world, as Martin Short suggests, you’ll see it’s easy to find the place where everybody knows your name. You’ll also find it helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Positive choices lead to more positive choices.