Sexuality is part of everyone’s personality and everyone’s life. It is a basic need and part of being human. Sexuality includes everything in your daily life that makes you a sexual person, your gender, body, mind, and emotions. Sexuality is about who you are and how you feel about yourself and your relationships with other people. Your sexuality develops over time and will change as you grow and have new experiences.
(Office of health promotion & protection 2004)
Sexuality was a gift given to us by the Creator as a means of sharing our being with another. It was more than a method of reproduction.
Sexual orientation also brought the abilities of vision and understanding. People who were Two-Spirit had the unique ability of vision that others could not understand.
In Mi’kmaq history (pre-colonization) someone who was Two-Spirit was referred to as Puoin or Ginup Some Two-Spirit people believe that the ability of having insight into both the male and female world was a gift given to them by Grandfathers and Grandmothers that have passed on. The term Two-Spirit or Puoin does not only refer to sexuality, you do not have to be gay, lesbian or bisexual to be Two-Spirited.
Self Esteem and Self Image:
is how a person feels about himself or herself. A high self-esteem is neither competitive nor comparative; it is a state where a person feels at peace with him or herself.
Qualities of High Self Esteem
Self control (the ability to regulate thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Respect for and value of other people.
Self reward. (What you do for yourself rather than worrying about what other people think.)
Being able to take responsibility for successes and failures.
is how you see yourself in relation to others.This may be how you see yourself physically or it may be more the idea you have about yourself.
Things you can do to help improve your self-image:
List things you like about yourself – include appearance, personality and skills
Change negative thoughts to positive thoughts
Accept criticism in a constructive way so you can improve and develop
Don’t be limited by your internal image, step outside of it and break free, it doesn’t have to control you or keep you down
Self image includes:
What you think you look like physically.
How your personality comes across.
What kind of person you think you are.
How much you like yourself and think others like you.