We grow up in a world that conditions us to derive our ‘worth’ from our external environment. Whether it’s through physical appearance, career, wealth, social status, relationships, or even likes on Facebook; we are constantly striving to prove our ‘worth’.

Hidden within this deeply rooted cry for approval and validation from others is a belief that we are not ‘enough’ and that we must be someone according to society’s standards.

Yet we may find peace and comfort through settling into the knowingness, that all human beings are inherently worthy. This is not a worth that can be ‘achieved’, it is a worth that is written into our very existence and remains constant from the day we are born until the day we depart this planet.

 The Inevitability of Change

When we seek worth outside of ourselves, we are attempting to cultivate it within a physical world that is impermanent by nature. In other words, chasing a sense of worth in our outside experience may set us up for disappointment, insecurity and future suffering simply because of the inevitability of change.

For example, deriving worth from our physical appearance may create a deep sense of inner sadness as our beauty diminishes with age. Placing our worth in wealth may lead to an identity crisis if we happen to lose our financial abundance. Alternatively, seeking worth in our career may prevent us from letting go of the job that we know is no longer making us happy or fulfilled to instead follow our passion. 

Worth that is accumulated through external experiences is therefore not a reliable source of self-trust or self-confidence. Our sense of ‘worth’ is instead placed within the four legs of a chair that may be kicked out from underneath us at any time.

The Pendulum of ‘Worth’

A worth that is derived from outside of one’s self may be taken away or enhanced at any time. For example, placing our worth within validation from others may result in a positive comment soaring us up and a negative comment plummeting us down.

Chasing worth in an ever-changing outside environment is destined for instability. We swing like a pendulum from extreme feelings of inferiority through self-judgement and self-doubt, only to drastically swing over to feelings of superiority. This wavering motion is likely to take us on a rollercoaster journey through life as we venture through extreme highs and lows, with much of our internal state depending entirely on an unstable physical environment. 

 

You Are Enough

Our relentless seeking for worth stems from a belief that we are not already ‘enough’ and that we must prove our worth or gain it somehow. We live in a society that tells us we are not ‘enough’ because it wants us to work harder. Of course forward movement in life is essential for fulfilment and we must take action to bring about our dreams. However, when we attempt to cultivate a sense of worth based on what society considers as ‘worthy’, we lose track of our heartfelt passions and dreams. 

Many find themselves working a job that may be successful according to societies standards, yet they are stressed, burnout and unhappy with their current life position. Rather than leaving their job to pursue a more heartfelt path, they constantly strive to be more through climbing a corporate ladder desperately seeking to prove their ‘worth’. 

When we don’t feel as though we are ‘enough’, we put pressure on ourselves to find a constant influx of worth from our outside world. In a desperate attempt to maintain our worth we feel the need to keep topping it up and we are never satisfied for long. 

We may alleviate much of our unrest through the realisation that we are ‘enough’. A baby does not need to be anyone, it does not feel the need to prove itself. As we blossom into this world we do not lose the worth that we possess as a child. We are always and forever innately ‘enough’. 

 

 Inner Worth At The Core

Cultivation of self-worth through our external environment breeds a myriad of challenges such as self-doubt, self-criticism, disappointment, insecurity, unstable emotional responses and general dissatisfaction in life. When we turn our attention inwards, we discover a worth that is entrenched within us; a worth that is composed of the purest love and compassion for one’s self and the world at large. This is a worth that is unshakable and integrated into the core of every soul on this planet. 

When we delve into the depths of our awakening we come to remember that beyond this physical experience, we are infinite, divine and a crucial aspect of creation itself. Our small human egoic sense of ‘self’, would have us believe that worth is found in our external world of form through ‘doing’. Yet our much larger formless sense of ‘self’ knows its worth to be an inherent state of ‘being’ within. 

Upon such revelations, we may rest in the knowingness that we are ‘enough’ and we are not required to do anything or be anyone other than ourselves. Waking up from the illusion of unworthiness, we are relieved from much of our suffering as we transcend old emotional patterns and belief systems. 

Knowing our worth, we are free to move in the direction of our heart’s calling with unwavering self-confidence that is not dependent on feedback and validation from others. Becoming conscious of the innate worth at the core of our being enables us to truly embody our divinity, bringing immense joy and freedom during our lifetime.

Switching From Outer to Inner

Once we have awakened our consciousness to the understanding that we are ‘enough’, we can begin to integrate this into our beingness where it can be truly felt and lived by. Our journey with worth continues with insight and recognition of where we are deriving our worth from. We may choose to turn our attention towards our limiting beliefs about our self and investigate the aspects of us that we push away, causing feelings of unworthiness. 

For example; Do we think we are a bad person? What do we tell ourselves about our physical appearance? Do we think we are not intelligent or successful enough? Do we think we need more friends, more likes on social media, a bigger house or more money? Do we seek self-esteem through the validation of others? 

Beliefs are created over time through repeatedly thinking the same thoughts. We may have an array of beliefs about ourselves that create conscious or subconscious feelings of unworthiness. Once we let go of the ultimate belief that worth is derived externally, we can continue to let go of the beliefs that stem off from this core belief. Our mental conditioning and trapped emotions will release through time as we confront our belief systems when they are brought to our attention. Gradually, through divine timing, we can really ignite our innate worth.

 

Final Words

Waking up into our true worth is a journey that is best made through the divine unfoldment of time through trusting the process. As our consciousness evolves and we begin to identify less with our physical temporary form and increasingly with our limitless spiritual formlessness, we leave worth behind and settle into the knowingness of being powerful extraordinary beings of light.

In the meantime, we can simply remember that ‘worth’ is not earned, gained, lost or achieved. We are worthy of everything in this lifetime and we are always ‘enough’ just as we are. 

With Gratitude,

Time

Time

Lately, I've been contemplating the nature of time. Though the existence of time is evident and...