I’m not talking about your financial status.  I’m talking about you personally.  Who you are.

Defination of self-worth:

a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect

Do you feel that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect?  If so, why?  If not, why?

This is not an easy topic.  It’s a difficult topic because one will have to look deep within to answer the questions.  And these are not easy questions to answer.  Where do you start to find the answer?  Can you even answer the questions?

Self-Worth vs Self-Esteem

Although, self-worth is often used as a synonym for “self-esteem” don’t confuse the two.   Self-worth is less about measuring yourself based on external actions.  Self-worth is more about valuing yourself based on your inherent worth as a person. So, self-worth is about who you are and not about what you do.

A true sense of self-worth can also be nurtured by practicing compassion for yourself.  Compassion is the practice of treating yourself with the same kindness and compassion as you would treat a friend.

How do you start?

There are three steps to practicing self-compassion:

1) Acknowledge and notice your challenges.

2) Be kind and caring to yourself in responding to your challenges.

3) Remember that no one is perfect.  Imperfection is a part of the human experience.  Imperfection is something we all share.

How do you start to feel better about yourself?

The way we choose to measure our worth affects the kind of life we’ll live.  Measure yourself based on the factors you can control. Do not focus on the external events in your life.

Once you discover who you are, you will be happy with the person you are becoming. You’ll learn to experience a sense of peace through life’s ups and downs. You’ll learn to believe in yourself regardless of what is going on in your life.

Focus on the things that raise your self-esteem by measuring your self-worth and by knowing who you are at your core. Live according to your values and core beliefs.

Let’s dig a little deeper

What are some questions you can ask yourself to dig deeper into better insight?

What if everything I have in my life is suddenly taken away from me?

What if all you have left was just yourself?  Who are you?

How would that make you feel?

What do you actually have that is of value?

Who are you?  You are… You are not…

How am I within myself?

How am I in the world?

How do others see me?

What do others say about me?

What are the key life moments that have defined who I am today?

What brings me the most passion, fulfillment, and joy?

What are my weaknesses?

Where are the areas I struggle most?

Where are the areas that I need to improve?

What illusions of fear are holding me back?

What emotions am I holding onto that are hurting me?

What mistakes do I tend to repeat?

Where do I tend to consistently let myself down?

What abilities do I have?

What am I really good at?

Moving forward

Forgive yourself for anything you’ve done in the past that you continue to condemn yourself on. Accept yourself unconditionally without judgment.

This is who you are. Accept that by acknowledging the good and the bad.

I fully accept every part of who I am.  This includes my flaws, fears, behaviors, and qualities I have not been proud of.

This is who I am, and I am at peace with it.

Yes, you have flaws, limitations and weaknesses.  Everyone does, that’s part of being a human being.  It’s time to let go of all that no longer serves you.  Practice being compassionate with yourself.

Through self-love, we learn compassion which comes from self-acceptance, which stems from self-understanding. Ironically these are the steps we went through as we moved through this process.

One simple method to begin practicing self-love is to get into the habit of speaking to yourself in a positive and supportive way:

I am loved just as I am…

I love myself completely…

I am a worthy and capable person…

Talking to yourself in this way brings your focus and attention to the beauty hidden within you.

Recognize who you are.

When you have self-understanding and have finally accepted the wonderful person you are, you have made a breakthrough. As you reach a stage where you practice self-love and self-compassion, that’s when you define who you are. People, events, and circumstances no longer define who you are. You alone define yourself.

Acknowledge and recognize that you no longer need to please other people.  You only need to please yourself.

Other people have their own opinions. Their options are not revelant to who you are. You also have your own life and your own opinions.  You own options are just that, yours. Your opinion of yourself is the only one that counts.

You hold the key on how you want to respond to events and circumstances in your life. This is based on your internal knowledge and your own resources which are all a reflection of your speaking your truth.

It’s important to recognize your truth regardless of your earnings, career, possessions, and social standing.

Your true value comes from your internal measurement that you’ve set for yourself. This is where your true power comes from.

Who’s responsible?

You alone are responsible for your life and life circumstances.  You are responsible for your actions in any given situation.  No one can tell you how to feel or react to life’s events.

Taking responsibility for yourself means to acknowledge that you have the personal power to change and influence the outcomes of life’s events and circumstances.

So, what is your self-worth?  What is your net-worth?

What is mine?  My self-worth is priceless.  So is my net-worth.