[Dan in Pasadena]

Can't speak to self esteem if you've NEVER had any, but when I was going through my separation-reconciliation-separation-divorce after twenty years of marriage to my high school sweetheart I was low, low, low, lower than that.

I'll spare you the details but I had a sign printed and on my desk that said, "I am having a WONDERFUL Day!". It was so patently ridiculous compared to how my life was going at that time it would make me chuckle momentarily. In that moment I was lifted out of my seeming permanent funk. It proved to me over time that my life COULD be good, humorous, normal and I could experience fun again..eventually. That I had the capacity.

In other words? "Fake it to make it" Works for me!