Too often we consider our own worth based on our income, health, appearance, companions, occupation, ethnic heritage, age, gender, or any other number of items and thoughts. These might have some influence on us, but none of them are who we truly are. As a Child of God, we each have infinite worth. Deep inside, it is our own thoughts that give or take away our value. Each of us only has 24 hours per day. What are our thoughts when we are awake? What are our dreams when we are asleep? Are we living in the past; are we living in the future; or are we planning for the future, learning from the past, and living in the present? For me, only one of these three options makes any sense. But sometimes it is the most difficult to do. We have all made mistakes, otherwise we have never tried. Some mistakes may be more haunting than others, but this should be used for learning since it is impossible to go back and change what we have done or not done in the past. I personally feel that too many of my mistakes have been mistakes of omission and not commission. Not making a decision or doing something I knew was the right thing to do is more devastating that trying something and failing. Through failure, we do learn, without trying, there can be no success or failure and thus no learning. The lack of a decision is often tied to the self-worth we have for ourselves. “The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized – never knowing.” ― Jim Rohn[1]
There are some key words that have been floating around about how to improve our own self-worth. What is my passion (what do I truly love to do), what is my purpose (we all have a higher purpose for our lives, how do we find and implement that), intent (we must decide on what we need to do and know why this action is important to us), and having long term and shorter term SMART goals. Daily goals that fit into our weekly, monthly, yearly, and long term goals are important. Our self-worth increases when we set and measure those goals. If we share those goals and have ourselves and others hold ourselves accountable, there is no real limit on what we can achieve. Just as a reminder SMART Goals are:
| S | Specific – state exactly what you want to accomplish. |
| M | Measurable – state exactly how you will be able to measure when the task is accomplished. |
| A | Attainable – set a target that is a stretch goal but is physically attainable. |
| R | Realistic – is it based on what you know and what you can and want to learn? Is it something that will help you grow in an important area to you? |
| T | Time Bound – set an exact date for when this goal will be met. |
We are paid what we are worth to others, we earn what we are worth to ourselves. What is your self-worth? If any of us believe we can do better, then we need to follow Jim Rohn’s advice: “You cannot change your destination overnight. You can change your direction.” A railcar being switched in Chicago only changes direction slightly, but can end up in New York City or in New Orleans. We each need to know where we want to be and change our direction enough each day to reach that destination. Best wishes on achieving your dreams.
Footnotes
[1] – All Jim Rohn quotes are from Good Reads’ Jim Rohn Quotes page.
Are there some days where you just say: “Boy, do I feel lucky to only be in a precarious position but what is the best way to move forward.” This could be for all sorts of reasons, from loss of a job through loss of health. Most cases do have a way out, but we need to use our heads (and hearts) to determine the best way forward. Asking a good friend for help or advice is a good way to help us determine a good path. They may have been through a similar situation before. They may be aware of options that of which we may not be aware. Use all the resources available to make the best possible decision in the time you have allotted. Most the time, there is enough time to do things right. But in certain circumstances a quick decision is required. What got me thinking about this was a picture I saw on Bing that was credited back to CNN.