Self-worth: the belief that you are fundamentally worthy and valuable as a person.
The concept of self-worth is straightforward and easy to logically understand. The ultimate knowledge is that you are innately valuable because you are alive. The knowledge that you are worthy of love, kindness, and care because you are alive and walking this earth.
Yet, embracing self-worth on an emotional and spiritual level is much harder. We hear messages our whole life that we are not enough, we are not seen, we are not loved, or we must be better to receive love. We stamp these statements on our hearts, shielding the truth from shining through. We give into the idea that our worth is determined by what other people are willing to give us.
Why do we let the external world determine our worth in this world? Why do we let other people determine how valuable we are? Why do we let culture label our life with marred words of judgment?
In the last week, I have heard statements about self-worth that broke my heart. Young girls admitted to telling themselves they aren’t loved, they are ugly, they aren’t enough, or they don’t deserve kindness. It is awful hearing these words come from a child, knowing these beliefs are imprinted from people and messages surrounding them. Yet, I was stricken by how I felt that these young girls were telling themselves this, yet there are women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are still believing the same things.
I started to realize that we are allowing external messages, limiting beliefs, and destructive self-talk to be the foundation of who we are. We believe the insidious words that diminish our self-worth.
It can be difficult to untangle the lies that we are not enough from the truth of inherent self-worth. When we decide to stop living by the beliefs so long woven into our minds, we experience a shift in the ways we think, interact with other people, and see ourselves. It can be uncomfortable.
Yet we cannot let our foundation be rooted in rotten soil, on unfounded words from external perspectives. Instead, we need to plant our feet into the belief that we are wonderful humans who are deserving of love, care, and respect. We are to walk this life knowing our self-worth is natural and inherited the day we are brought into existence.
We are not meant to let others determine who we are or the value we carry. We are not meant to give in to systemic messages that shrink our souls and hold us back from greatness.
Rather, we are on this earth with a purpose and a plan laid ahead of us. We are born and crafted by God with value and care. There are no mistakes made on the way. There is a magical wonder inside our hearts that is placed with precision, giving us a core of worth.
Our self-worth is not determined by our neighbor, the words of an abuser, the comparison of other people, or the damaged self-image we hold. Rather it is determined by accepting the fact that because you are alive you hold worth. Each of us is put in this world with a purpose to be fulfilled, and we walk this out every day.
We may not always feel that we are productive, creating good, or putting value into the world. Yet I am here to remind you that you have worth because you are alive and you are a soul deserving of love. I am here to tell you that you can shed yourself of the hateful words of the past and the belief that you are not valuable.
Step into life and know that the light inside of you deserves to be embraced.
Your soul is beautiful and made with a purpose. You are on this earth to be in community, love yourself and your neighbor, embrace your passions, and act on your dreams.
Embracing your worth on a personal and intimate level is a necessary step to living a full life driven by values. Cast off the lies of other people, society, media, and enemies. Hold onto the deep knowledge that you are worthy, you are valued, and you are lovely.