Self esteem is a very delicate thing. Having too much of it could lead to harbouring an over bloated ego which is capable of making one lose valuable relationship and meaningful contacts. Very unhealthy.
Yet the stark absence of a healthy self esteem could ruin a life, shatter one's self confidence, plunge one into depression, which could culminate in nurturing suicidal thoughts.
I have learnt that to manage your self esteem, it is not enough to have and keep in one's life people who assure you everyday that you are enough. Because after listening to mere words, you'll go out there and find folks who are seemingly doing better than you. And there'll always be folks doing better than you. Then envy sets in. Envy is a natural human instinct, but to ensure it doesn't turn into some bile and dreadful jealousy and eventual loss of self esteem, you need to discover yourself. Friends telling you that you are enough could be temporarily comforting, but you (not them) must discover yourself for a long lasting mental stability.
Self discovery, the awareness of one's relevance to themselves and to the little corner of the world they occupy, is the reason you will be able to wade through the myriads of social and economic pressure and come out unscathed; standing your ground, guarding your self esteem, it is the reason you are happy with everyone around you for doing well in their various ventures, even if you are still struggling to stand on your feet; it is the reason you will live a life full of laughter and cheerful spirit, permitting everyone to share in your life without allowing their negative vibes get to you; it is the reason you are content with the little things that matter, yet pursuing greater goals for which your ambition has been set.
Finally, with a healthy self esteem, you can recognise bullshit and spit on it; heck, you can say no to some things that are given to you, seeing that they are not yours, because they will compromise your standards and demean your human dignity.