30 years ago, my self-esteem was extremely low. It got to the point where I tried to kill myself. Thank God that I did not "succeed." I went to psychiatrist after psychiatrist after psychiatrist; meds after meds after meds. Nothing worked. I thought I was a piece of garbage. Worthless. Hopeless.

The tide turned when I came to the realization that the only thing stopping me from having a successful, purposeful life is ME. I was pointing a finger at everyone, but when I pointed a finger at someone--I was pointing four at myself.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The navy broke me down--but they built me up. They taught me responsibility, integrity, loyalty, team work. How to be a leader, not a follower.

You don't have enlist in the military to improve your self-esteem, for all you have to do is change the way you think. You have to truly believe that you can achieve anything you want in life. Will there be obstacles? Yes, but with a positive attitude you can overcome any obstacle. Look for the good in people; don't look for the bad. I'm not talking about delusions of grandeur; I'm talking about a realistic, positive attitude. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward. I believe what stops most people from achieving their goals is themselves.

Depression may involve a biological factor, unless you strongly feel that there's an environmental basis.