Thursday, October 13, 2011

Five Ways to Affirm Your Worth


When our lives don't go quite the way we would like them to, we feel out of control; we start to feel unworthy of the things we desire, so we beat up on ourselves, instead of affirming how much we’re actually worth. We feed feelings of insecurity about everything from our jobs to the way our bodies look.

What we might want to do in these instances is to spend some time reflecting on what we offer ourselves, our families and the world that are worthwhile contributions.

So how do we nourish our spirits and start to get some of that control back? How do you affirm your worth?

Compliment yourself - Stand in the mirror. Look at yourself. Note all the great things that you love, and compliment yourself on them. “I really love my hair” “I have beautiful eyes” “My arms are so toned” (Focus only on what you like about yourself—don’t get caught up in what you wish you could change).

Learn to accept compliments from others - Have you ever noticed that it is particularly difficult to accept a compliment from someone else when you're feeling insecure? When someone compliments you on your hair, instead of launching into a diatribe about how difficult it was to get it to straighten or how it's really very dry today, try saying "thank you" with a smile. Let the beautiful things that others say about you sink in until they become your self-talk.

Tell yourself “I Love You” – We say it to our children, friends, parents and significant others—but how often do we say it to ourselves? Tell yourself “I Love You” and affirm that you too are worth the same love that you shower onto others.

Do something that you naturally do really well – The idea here is not to challenge yourself, but to do something at which you excel without even trying. Do you have a beautiful voice? Sing to yourself. Are you a fast runner? Hit the pavement. Can you sketch beautifully? Break out that pencil. Allow yourself to get so lost in that activity that you forget to wallow.

Spend time with children – It doesn’t matter if they’re your own children, nieces and nephews or a group of children you volunteer with; just hang out with them. You will never look cooler, smarter or more talented than through the eyes of a young child. They’re so curious, and find it fascinating that you have so many answers. See yourself through their eyes for awhile and be reminded about how much you’ve accomplished since you were that age.

Emotions, both dark and light, are natural so we’re going to feel less confident from time to time. The key is to make sure it’s a temporary feeling.

What are some other things you do to affirm your worth?

3 comments:

BestBLeve said...

I needed this post. I often find myself struggling to receive a compliment and I understand I need to work on my perception of myself in order to appreciate others' perceptions of me.

Vernetta R. Freeney said...

I don't think I ever told myself I Love You. I will have to try that. Yes, I think more articles need to be written to help women and men understand that knowing their own self-worth is one of the most important aspect of their life they can do. As always love ~www.womenaregamechangers.com.

Kim Jackson said...

@BestBLeve - Understanding your need to work on it, is the first step to overcoming it. You can SO do this!

@WomenAreGamechangers - Try it immediately. It feels good :-). Visited your blog--looks like you have created a space where people can work on their self-worth as well. Kudos to you!

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