So often we look in the mirror and immediately begin to pick at our physical flaws, which then leads to us thinking about all of our imperfections. Imperfections in our personality, our physical appearance, our jobs, our decisions and more. It is easy to pick out the things that are bad, which makes it that much harder to pick out the things that are good. I have a friend who whenever she catches me saying anything remotely negative about myself, makes me stop and say three positive things about myself. This is no easy task! It is easy to say that one negative, but then to negate the negative with THREE positives is even harder.
Why do we find it so hard to accept who we are and value it? We as humans are drawn to control. We like the idea that we can control how we look, feel and act. While it is true that we can control a portion of these things, why do we overlook that we can control our value? Value is such a strange word, as is acceptance. We place value on items, animals, homes and in turn we place value on ourselves. Have you ever used the saying I feel like a million bucks? I think we all have. Let’s take a minute and instead of looking at value as a price or a number, let’s look at what it really means. The first definition you will find of value is not price, or amount. The first definition if you google the word value is “the regard that something is held to deserve.” Value is what is deserved of something or someone. When we change our perspective on this term we can start to understand what it truly means to value ourselves!
How do we actually begin to value ourselves? We can start by realizing that we control our thoughts about ourselves. We can define what we deserve, we are in control of the value we place on ourselves. Here are practical ways to value yourself:
Acknowledge the inner critic and challenge it!
Allow yourself to accept positive or kind words from others.
Start to appreciate all of the good things you do.
Place yourself around others who value you too.
Start using positive affirmations over your life!
These 5 steps are a great place to start on your journey to valuing yourself. Allow room for error, for practice and for growth. It may not be an immediate change but YOU”VE GOT THIS and YOU ARE VALUABLE!
Affirmation to begin your journey to value: “I am strong, I am enough, I am deserving and I do my best each day and I respect myself because of that!”
Wrote by:
Casey Shaw
Mental Health Counselor Intern