Cultivating Self-Worth

By Linney Elder

Your worth is not determined by how clever you are, how much money you have, how physically beautiful you are, or how famous you might be. Neither is self-worth the same as self-esteem , which is more an indication of how you “feel” about yourself, for example do you feel yourself confident, outgoing, able to express yourself, or do you feel incapable, inadequate, afraid of life?

Your worth cannot be measured. You were born worthy and will remain worthy throughout your life, no matter what you do, or do not, accomplish. You are an eternal, infinite being and a part of all that is in the universe.

“Self-worth is a consequence of believing that you are worthy”

Cultivating an attitude of optimism, positive expectation and self-belief will help you increase your sense of self-worth. How you conduct yourself in your day to day life will reflect your sense of self-worth and encourage others to treat you with the same level of respect.

As you learn to appreciate yourself more fully, you will begin to treat yourself kindly, be less judgemental and more tolerant of yourself. A positive shift will occur in your thinking and as you treat yourself with more respect, you will feel more confident about defining your personal boundaries and voicing your needs.

A direct consequence will be a blossoming of more open, honest and authentic relationships with others. As your relationships improve and more of your needs are met, you may find yourself becoming more accepting, forgiving and understanding of other people as well.

You can easily gauge when you have lost sight of your self-worth, when you experience feelings of depression, insecurity, or a lack of confidence. Do not view these episodes as negative and do not berate yourself, simply accept them as opportunities for inner reflection and personal growth .

“When you look for approval and acceptance from others, you diminish your self-worth in the process”

The more authentically you live your life, the more you will attract people who will add value to your life experiences and with whom you will enjoy a mutually uplifting connection.

Tips for cultivating self-worth:

• Take time out to do things that bring you joy and pleasure.
• Be kind to yourself.
• Be honest in your interactions with others.
• Set clear personal boundaries.
• Learn to love and appreciate yourself.
• Don’t accept people to treating you disrespectfully.
• YOU determine your sense of self-worth, no one else.

Affirmations for self-worth:

• I love and appreciate myself completely, as I AM.
• I deserve to be treated with respect.
• I AM an amazing human being.
• I AM a phenomenal human being.
• I AM surrounded by people who treat me well.

Remember – you teach people how to treat you!