"Self-esteem is what we think and feel and believe about ourselves. Self-worth is recognizing 'I am greater than all of those things.' It is a deep knowing that I am of value, that I am loveable, necessary to this life, and of incomprehensible worth." - Dr. Christina Hibbert
Self-worth is traditionally defined as "a sense of one's own value."
But, it's an ironic definition because, if you think about, how can anyone else but you define what YOUR self-worth is? They can't...
So the question shouldn't be "What is self-worth?" but "How do I define what self-worth is for me?"
Hence the need to create your own self-worth recipe.
A lot of people fall into the trap of defining their self-worth using shallow metrics, metrics such as:
your job
your title
how good of a family you come from or have created
the money in your bank account
your net worth
all the assets you've accumulated
the car you drive
how other people view you
how beautiful or fit you are
how intelligent you come across
The problem with all of the above is this: they could vanish at any moment... and you have very little control over whether, when or how they do leave you.
At its core, self-worth begins and ends with you. It is an internal measurement based on an inner compass that has nothing to do with anyone else... which requires some customization to define because it is unique to YOU...
So... how do you create your self-worth recipe?
Here's a three step process you can use to create your self-worth recipe:
Step 1: Create your own definition of self-worth. In other words, what does a solid level of self-worth look like on you? In your life? In this season of your life? Keep in mind that you'll need to revisit this definition on a yearly basis because it will change.
Step 2: Outline the ingredients that are required to embody your definition of self-worth. If your definition was a recipe, what ingredients would be required to create it? Write those out in a journal.
Step 3: Decide how you're going to bring together those ingredients on a daily basis. For example, if in my self-worth recipe, one of the ingredients is 'nourishing my body with healthy foods' (i.e. I believe my self-worth is connected to how I feed my body), then things like meal prepping and eating in a certain way most of the time would be how I'd take action on that one ingredient. I'd then need to tactically decide things like 1) When I meal prep each week?, 2) What foods I will and won't eat, and 3) Scheduling time to both prep and sit down to eat each day. Yes, you need your definition and your recipe and, yes, at some point, you have to put your recipe into action by the systems, habits and consistent DMA (Daily Massive Actions) you take on the recipe.
There you have it- how to create your self-worth recipe. It is simple... and it is not easy... but it can become how you live your life... IF... you make it matter enough to do so.
Comment on this post and share your definition of what self-worth is for you...