“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” – Henry David Thoreau
Net-worth: Your assets minus your debts.
Self-worth: The quality of being worthy of esteem or respect.
As humans, it is in our nature to compare ourselves to others. Unfortunately, because we can only compare the things that we can objectively measure, we live in a world that is great at measuring and comparing externals. Somewhere along the way, we decided that we could determine who is living a more valuable life by comparing their clothes, cars, homes, and paychecks.
Simply put, we tied self-worth to net-worth. As a painful result, we began to make judgements about our own life value by the possessions that we own. But, in reality, our life is far more valuable than the things that we own.
The wages that we earn provide for our lives, but they do not define our lives. (tweet that)
Fortunately, when we change our thinking on this matter, we are freed to pursue a life worthy of esteem and respect that is not tied to our possessions. Consider these 8 steps to improve your self-worth regardless of your net-worth.
1. Live a life of integrity and character. There is no greater feeling than laying your head on your pillow at night having no regrets in your dealings with others. Consider the immeasurable value that comes from looking back over your entire life and seeing the same thing.
2. Cultivate worthy endeavors that are available in infinite supply. There is no limit to the amount of love you can show, the amount of hope you can spread, or the number of encouraging words you can speak. Cultivate these things in liberal supply. They will cost you nothing, but will begin to mean everything.
3. Delight in your uniqueness. The fact that you are different from everybody else makes you valuable. Be comfortable with yourself and proud of yourself. Don’t suppress it or hide it. Instead, do the opposite: Champion your uniqueness.
4. Give away your most valuable resource. The most precious resource we own is our time. Therefore, the most precious thing that we can ever give to another person is our time. Make a habit of giving it away to others.
5. Live courageously. Find the mental strength to accept new challenges without regards to the fear that may lie beneath. Live with great expectations about what your life can become and accomplish.
6. Develop self-confidence. A confident person feels better about themselves, stands up taller, and smiles more. A confident person does not follow the crowd or try to become someone else. A confident person focuses on their achievements and anticipates their next opportunity in life with excitement. And if you’re struggling with this now, there’s always time to learn how to be more confident.
7. Embrace your weaknesses. There are no perfect people in this world. We all have struggles and weaknesses. I have found that one of the best ways to identify with others is in our weakness. When we admit that we need help, we are finally ready to interact with others on a truly valuable level.
8. Make the most of every opportunity. Each new day brings with it new opportunities. Don’t waste a single one. Do everything you do with quality and excellence.
Your true self-worth is up to you. Increase it. Don’t allow your life’s pursuit to be caught up in the acquisition of material things – that makes for a nice net-worth, but not necessarily a high self-worth. And self-worth trumps net-worth any day.
Kathryn Kasprzak says
Thoughtful content, well written. Thank you for an essay that sets the tone for the day, the week, the year.
Bubba says
Begin by turning off the A/C and find which one is more important.
Shayera says
I believe most of what you’ve listed here are espoused in Aloe Blacc’s song “The Man”. The last 2 lines of the first verse are a celebration of our differences as individuals – we’ve all been blessed with unique gifts to perform different roles on earth, thus we should strive to fulfill our purpose for the betterment of all in the world. http://msshayera.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-dissection-of-aloe-blaccs-man.html
Anna Prountzou says
Thank you for this, I needed to read this today in particular. It has helped me make up my mind about an important decision that I need to make today.
di says
Everything has limitations.
We all have regrets that are difficult to remedy. Love and good intentions are not always accepted.
Tingly says
That actually makes really good sense-.perhaps you can be too extreme in these things, although it does sound appealing
Chuck Stocks says
This is a fabulous piece. I’ve never seen the case made so eloquently and so simply.
PATRICIA ARMSTRONG says
Am glad to see younger people going in the direction of grasping life for what it has to offer and not being obsessed with possessions.
di says
The slow economy prohibits many from accumulating.
Jessica says
I really enjoyed your article. My husband and I started de-cluttering our lives last year in preparation for long term world travel. After every item we sold or gave away, it felt like a physical weight had been lifted. Resizing from a 2500 square foot house to just two large hiking backpacks feels so liberating. We also learned that even by down sizing that much we still have too much crap! We are now enjoying a life of travel free of excessive possessions and we couldn’t be happier.
Liberty says
Such fun! Jessica, May the road always be your teacher and may you always enjoy its lessons! Have a wonderful and safe journey in you and your spouse’s adventures!
Amy @WorldschoolAdventures says
Yes! I especially like number 5. There have been so many times in my life where I have wanted to do something but was afraid to try and so I didn’t do it.
Live Courageously!!!
di says
What made you afraid?
Kay says
Just love your blog. I’ve been reading it after a friend shared it on fb. Always insightful, challenging and, the best part….helping me re-think how I live my life and then actually know how to make changes. Thank you!
di says
Logic and common sense…