I've learned that if there's a problem standing between you and greatness, you can't overcome it by fixing the blame. You've got to fix the problem. If the problem is low self-esteem, you can't go running to your parents crying "You broke it, now put it back together." No matter who destroyed your selfesteem, only you can put it back together. It's useless blaming the past. Think of the past as a canceled check. It simply has no value.
Personally, could my dad have helped with a little praise and support when I was growing up? Sure. But nobody's a perfect parent, and nobody gets a perfect childhood. Life deals each of us a hand and we have to play it. My dad played the hand he was dealt and I played the hand I was dealt. Parents can do all the right things to get their kids started in life and the kids can still screw up. It's all in how you play your hand.
My dad loved me when I was a kid; he just didn't always let on. He was like Freddie Hutchinson, the Detroit Tigers pitcher who went on to become a major-league manager. He was happy, but his face didn't know it. My dad seemed to find it hard to express love or appreciation. No matter what I would do, I would do it wrong, at least as he saw it. That was hard on the self-esteem. But it was not an excuse for giving up.
Do you feel as if nothing you do is good enough·? Do you feel as though most others are better than you? If so, chances are you're living in the past. You should look to your past, learn from it, and let it go.