At a time when I struggled with feeling stuck in some aspects of my business, I scheduled a few sessions with a life coach. In the course of our conversations, she repeatedly emphasized, "You're worthy of this. (the progress I hoped to make)"
The first time she said it, I thought, "I know. That's not the issue." When she repeated it, I thought, "This must be something they teach them to say in life coach school." With each recurrence, my frustration grew, and I wondered, "Why do you keep saying this to me?
If you had asked me before those sessions how my self-worth was, I would have said it was good - solid. I had a clear sense of identity and felt my value. What I failed to recognize then was that despite my overall positive self-worth, there were still areas of my life where a sense of unworthiness held me back.
Since those sessions, I've noticed something I hadn't seen before - in my life and the lives of others. Self-worth, or feelings of our worthiness, isn't a one-and-done kind of issue. It's a nuanced journey, much like many other facets of life.
I've observed that there's a fundamental level of understanding of our intrinsic value as individuals, forming the foundation of our self-worth. We are born with it—it's at our very core. Nothing—no external opinion, no life-altering experience, no number of mistakes—nothing can alter our innate worth. However, acknowledging this fact is just the beginning.
While having a solid foundation is essential, a foundation is meant to be built upon. Like so many other things in life, comprehending and accepting our worth is a continual journey.
Once our foundation is established, we encounter experiences that can highlight areas where we need further development, provided we are receptive to them—such as when my business progress hit a roadblock. My foundation of self-worth was laid, but, surprise, surprise, my life coach was right. Specific areas in my personal journey required a deeper understanding and conviction of my worthiness to propel my advancement.
A few areas where worthiness can show up are -
In relationships - Example: If we have trouble setting appropriate boundaries, it may be because we don't have a strong enough sense of ourselves and what works for us in a relationship.
In our career - Example: Imposter syndrome
With money - Example: Trouble asking for a well-deserved raise
With health & well-being - Example: Neglecting our physical and mental health with poor eating, exercise, or sleep habits
In creativity & growth - Example: Procrastinating things due to fear of it not turning out "good enough" or not believing we can accomplish what we want to do
If this resonates with you, take a listen to THIS podcast episode.
Next time, we'll delve into tools for overcoming feelings of unworthiness. Until then, reflect on this insightful quote from Marianne Williamson.
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