Philosophers and intellectual thinkers have argued over and over again on the true purpose in life. Each and every one of them has her/his own unique take on the matter. However, this question does not only concern intellectuals; it concerns the entirety of the human kind.
People go about their lives, wondering about the value of their existence. This question can partly be answered by finding one’s self-respect.
Self-worth means defining the reason behind every action you take throughout your journey; and whether the outcome reflects the true nature of your own unique identity.
To start discovering your self-worth, you need to stop comparing yourself to others.
The only one you should be comparing yourself to is your former self.
Do listen to your inner voices. Some of these voices might be destructive so you have to maintain a somewhat critical attitude. You need to challenge the destructive tendencies within you and work on strengthening the beneficial ones.
Constant inner evaluation is essential to personal development, but it may also hinder the process if you are not careful. You should be able to recognise whether your development process is going forwards or backwards – that way you can alter your direction in your favour.
Here’s a bunch of things I believe will help you throughout your pursuit of self-worth:
Small Goals
The first step to take is to plan small, achievable goals. Once you make some progress with your chosen tasks, you will begin to sense your self-confidence growing. The thing about small goals is that accomplishing them grants you the highest levels of rewards – belief in your own abilities – with almost zero possibility of doing more bad than good.
Be Careful With Your Expectations
That’s not to say you shouldn’t think big. But don’t expect to achieve your big things easily. High expectations result in despair, when reality goes contrary to your anticipations.
Adopt realistic approaches on life. You should strive to eventually acquire the ability to be acutely aware of your circumstances and be able to turn to maximum possible benefit. This does not mean you should slacken your grip during hard work. Try to maintain a humble, realistic mentality and still be utterly proficient in your tasks.
Forgive Yourself
As human beings, we tend to stumble upon psychological obstacles during the process of personal development. At times, such obstacles are greatly overwhelming; to the point where they may affect our progress. When this happens, it may lead to drastic discouragement.
You must learn to forgive yourself in order to overcome this. It’s okay to face obstacles, for it is through obstacles that we grow.
Remind Yourself of Your Strengths
Try to remind yourself everyday of the traits within you that make you proud. Focus on the well-established qualities of your personality. Some people have infinite inventory of patience. Others have the strong will to never give up. Find the strongpoints of your spirit and keep them at the forefront of your consciousness.
Be Compassionate
Sympathy and compassion towards others will help you greatly on your path towards personal growth. By helping others, your self-image will improve over time and your soul will gradually unravel its hidden aspects to yourself.
Avoid holding grudges against anyone; they are destructive. They will have a huge negative effect upon you and will hinder your process of growth and gaining self-esteem.
Face Your Fears
Don’t lead a life of avoiding great opportunities because of you fears. People often fear risking their “state”, to the point where they try to remain the same throughout their journey. That of course, doesn’t work. Instead, they just change in some random direction.
Stand your ground, press on and don’t succumb to your inner fears. The journey to personal success is a rough one. Do not let your fear of failure prevent you from trying.
Adopt these methods and strive to become the best version of yourself. Find your self-worth and meaning of existence. Your meaning, of your existence. Find what is best for you and start incorporating it to your daily-life routine.
How is your journey progressing? I’d love it if you shared your experiences in the comments!
Image credit: “The Road” by Daniel Weinand