Self-Worth

What is self-worth?

The World Book Dictionary defines self-worth as "a favorable estimate or opinion of oneself; self-esteem." The World Book Dictionary recognizes the distinction in concept, however, it does not recognize the distinction in meaning. I view self-worth as a measure of the availability of our Spirit or Being Self to believe in ourselves. Self-worth comes from a source on the INSIDE of us. We create it through Faith, by acting on the singular belief that we matter. Self-worth is the foundation of our ability to believe in ourselves.

Self worth is the opinion you have about yourself and the value you place on yourself. An example of self worth is your belief that you are a good person who deserves good things, or your belief that you are a bad person who deserves bad things.

Self-worth is the portal through which self-esteem is received.

Self-worth and self-esteem are vital beliefs for empowering oneself. A valid sense of self-worth is necessary in order to attain love, peace, joy, power, and a sound mind. A valid sense of self-worth precludes the possibility of committing suicide. Without self-worth, doubts and fears about our very existence will persist until they invalidate our dreams and vision, and undermine our greatest accomplishments.

The Importance of Self-Worth

 There are many ways for a person to value themselves and assess their worth as a human being, and some of these are more psychologically beneficial than others. In this article, we discuss the value of true self-worth, how to build this type of self-worth and why so many of us lack a feeling of worthiness.

How to Build Self-Worth

The first step in building self-worth is to stop comparing yourself to others and evaluating your every move. In other words, you need to challenge your critical inner voice. The critical inner voice is like a nasty coach in our heads that constantly nags us with destructive thoughts towards ourselves or others. This internalized dialogue of critical thoughts or “inner voices” undermines our sense of self-worth and even leads to self-destructive or maladaptive behaviors, which make us feel even worse about ourselves.

However, we can challenge the inner critic and begin to see ourselves for who we really are, rather than taking on its negative point of view about ourselves. We can differentiate from the ways we were seen in our family of origin and begin to understand and appreciate our own feelings, thoughts, desires and values.

A true sense of self-worth can also be fostered by practicing self-compassion. 

Adding meaning to your life, by taking part in activities that you feel are important, is another great way to build self-worth. Helping others, for example, offers a huge boost to your sense of self-worth. Generosity is good for you, both physically and mentally, and volunteering has a very positive affect on how people feel about themselves. People find meaning in many different ways; think about the activities and interests that feel meaningful to you personally and pursue those activities to build a more positive feeling of self-worth. Acting on principles, in ways that you respect, is another important quality to foster as you develop a higher level of self-worth. Make a concerted effort to maintain personal integrity in your life by insisting that your actions correspond to your words. When our actions do not match our words, we are more vulnerable to attacks from our critical inner voice and less likely to respect ourselves.

By challenging your critical inner voice and stopping comparing yourself to others, you can begin to get a feeling for your own self-worth. By pursuing activities that are meaningful to you and acting in line with your own personal beliefs, you can develop a sense of yourself as a worthwhile person in the world even further.

By: Umaru Maryam Hadejia