Yogi: I have been unemployed for some time – I had to write lots of applications and received lots of rejection. At the same time, I had to look for a new flat, and it was the same thing. 

There’s a feeling of not being good about myself. I have a temporary job now but I dread having to go through the whole process again. How do I improve my self-esteem in this situation?

Sayadaw: Frustration with the self or the outside, it is from the same source – it is aversion. 

When things are not working out well, it is inevitable that there’ll be aversion to the situation. It is aversion’s nature to find things to be averse about; then, it can turn on the self-aversion.

It is just the nature of aversion to find something in its environment to blame. 

The remedy is to be mindful and keep those wholesome minds on the ready because we really need to rely on them for support. It means we do the practice every day as much as possible; we’ll find that there will be an unexpected outcome from that. 

It seems so simple, but keeping the mind mindful can truly support us.