“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
If someone were to ask you how do you define your self-worth how would you respond? Some may not realize their self-worth until they hit an unexpected rough patch in their life. You may feel like you have not accomplished anything up to this point. Even more significant, you may feel like you’re not where you should be in life. You may think you have little to offer or that you’re not special, but you should feel good about yourself and recognize what makes you unique.
Feeling as if you haven’t accomplished much in your life could be from comparing yourself to others. You had expectations of where you wanted to be prior to where you are now. You may feel bad about where you are now compared to others your age doing what you had hoped. Judging yourself based on successes of others brings doubt, hurt, and ongoing pondering about what could have been. You wonder why your life has progressed slower than others. You may even blame others at one point while feeling miserable before blaming yourself.
At this point, your self-esteem is shot. You have wallowed in your own insults for a while before finally getting tired of the negativity surrounding your thoughts. So how do these feelings have something to do with understanding your self-worth? A quote from Wayne Dyer gives an important perspective: “Self-worth comes from one thing - thinking that you are worthy.”
There can be many things holding a person back from truly accepting themselves as they are. Fear of being different and not being accepted is common. Happiness is something most people want, and even though it is easier said than done, you shouldn’t allow fear or the thought of not being accepted prevent you from being happy.
Self-worth is about being happy with who you are and what you have accomplished. It’s okay to take pride in things you know you can do well. When you focus on what makes you happy the path to take to get you there becomes clearer. Accept the fact that your path to achieving what you want in life will not be the same as anyone else’s.
Knowing your self-worth is something you continue to learn throughout your life. It separates you from others while defining who you are and establishing your identity. Because of this, the value of your self-worth is priceless with no limits. As long as you stay committed to improving yourself, learning new experiences, and embracing qualities and talents you have, you will be able to define your self-worth in a way you feel best.
When realizing your self-worth, avoid carrying burden and worry; it weighs heavy on the mind, body, and soul while holding you back from things you could be missing out. Avoid trying to impress or please others; work on being content with your life and yourself. Avoid letting the negativity of others affect you; develop a tough skin and know you are worth whatever you are pushing to achieving. Believe in yourself, especially when facing obstacles and making difficult decisions. You were created with a purpose; you won’t be given anything you can’t handle.
Don’t rush to get things done. Some accomplishments require patience; a great value to practice. Stay grounded by being true to who you are through positivity. Consider having positive influences that will keep you inspired, encouraged, and who will accept you the way you are. From this point on, it gets easier to love yourself.
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” ~ Judy Garland
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