How to Be Humble Without Losing Self-Esteem?

Question: How to Be Humble Without Losing Self-Esteem?

When I left my childhood home  where I was only criticized, never praised, often berated and humiliated I had no self-esteem or confidence. Once I was out on my own, I developed some self-esteem and learned I could stand up for myself. And I guess I ended up over-compensating, becoming defensive and ready to fight (not physically) anyone who I thought was wronging me. This has been my protection for many years now. So I am someone who had to build their confidence and sense of self from the ground up as an adult - something I had to work hard on. So now developing the devotional quality of humility is not easy, especially because it involves trust - trusting that humility will not lead to humiliation. I want to become a good disciple and a good devotee. I want to be able to say (as you taught in one of your lectures on the CD) "please point out my faults and correct me when I am doing something wrong," but I'm so afraid to make myself vulnerable in this way. How can I learn to be humble while also maintaining self-respect?

Answer: You Are One of the Most Respected People in the Universe.

Your sincerity to become a pure devotee makes you automatically one of the most respected people in the entire universe. Therefore you have plenty of space to develop humility without any fear of losing your self-esteem.