Introduction
The self is the way in which one perceives oneself. The self is influenced by self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy and the social self. Self-concept is the idea of the self and is derived from various factors such as personality traits, how one looks or thinks about their looks, their personal values, life ambitions and their role or place in life (Fournier, 2010). The self begins at an early age where children begin to understand themselves in the context of the social world. This developmental process is affected largely by how they relate to friends/ mentors and parents. As the child grows into an adult, they continue to learn their psychological differences and inner characteristics since they become aware of other people in the social world. As they interact with others, their self-concept, self-esteem, and self efficacy develop into increasingly complex phenomenon (Fournier, 2010). This is no different for me. I am a married 47-year old woman with three children. I have recently gone back to school to pursue a degree in psychology, while still taking care of my family and running my business as a daycare provider. In this paper, I apply the self to my life in terms of my self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
As a forty-seven year-old mother trying to juggle various responsibilities and obligations, my self-concept is affected in different ways. I am at the point in my life where I should be closer to attaining my life goals, enjoying my adulthood and my family, as well. However, to achieve this, I have to be financially able and have flexible choices. My interactions with friends, my husband and my children impact on my self-concept. I am enjoying motherhood by taking pride in my day–to-day achievements and by relating well with my friends and family.
Self-esteem is how an individual values or feels about themselves (Young & Hoffmann, 2004). Generally, I regard myself very highly but how I take care of my children, run my business and perform in class may either lift or lower my self-esteem. My self esteem is also influenced slightly by how I look and how I relate with the people around me. I believe that the relationships we form with those around us have the power to affect our self-esteem. My husband is always complimenting me, and this impacts my self-esteem positively.
Self efficacy is the belief in one’s abilities to attain a particular goal or outcome. My self-efficacy is considerably high. Having given birth to my children, I was at a point where I wanted to re-invent my life. That is why I chose to go back to school and improve my intellectual capacity. With all the responsibilities I have, this is not easy. However, I believe in my abilities to succeed. I have found it crucial to realize that one cannot succeed on their own. That is why I relate to people who encourage me to keep working hard at my business and my studies.
Conclusion
The self is how one perceives themselves in general. This may be broken down into components of self-esteem, self-concept and self-efficacy. As a forty-seven year old mother, my self-concept is shaped by my day-to-day activities. I work on my self-concept by taking pride in my work and my responsibilities. I regard myself highly but self-esteem may be influenced by my successes and failures as well as by the relationships I have with people around me. My self-efficacy is equally high. I believe in my abilities to succeed in life and continue to take the relevant steps towards that. Overall, I believe that all this components interact to impact on the self.
References
Fournier, G. (2010, July 20). Self-Concept | Encyclopedia of Psychology. Psych Central.com. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/2009/self-concept/
Young, E. L., & Hoffmann, L. L. (2004). Self-Esteem In Children: Strategies For Parents And Educators. National Association of School Psychologists, 3(5), 87-89.
