Believing in yourself is often touted as the cause of success. But if you have low self-esteem, it’s not easy to believe in yourself. You may struggle to step outside of your comfort zone and look for a way to make your life better. You may believe that you don’t have the means to better yourself or that you don’t deserve a better life.

You can change your life and it starts with believing in yourself. But first you have to identify what’s holding you back. Here are three common self-esteem killers that can keep you from living out your true potential.

Low self-worth and a lack of confidence can be caused by a number of things. Many people think that to fix low self-esteem, you have to look inside yourself. While it’s true that there are internal things that cause low self-worth, there are also external factors that can contribute to low self-worth.

Instead of looking inside for all the reasons you're not more confident or successful, let's look at the space you live in. Ask yourself these questions and spend some time thinking about your answers.

Low self-worth can cause negative self-talk. This can further lower your self-esteem causing a vicious cycle where you continually feel bad about yourself. The good news is that you can change the way you talk to and about yourself. When you conquer negative self-talk, your self-esteem will improve. You’ll gain more self-confidence and you’ll feel more optimistic about your life in general.

If you’re ready to break the cycle of negativity, you need to understand these essential truths.

Self-esteem is how you view yourself. It’s the lens you look through when you consider who you are. If you have low self-esteem, you may view yourself in a negative way. Instead of thinking about how you have the gift for communication, you see yourself as someone who just can’t shut up.

When you have low self-esteem, it’s easy to fixate on your flaws. But you don’t have to let low self-esteem destroy your confidence. There are simple steps you can take to start building up your self-esteem today.