Worth
Worth: noun
the value equivalent to that of someone or something under consideration; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.
When we hear the word ‘worth’ , we may think of the monetary value of something. “How much is this car worth?” Or, we may think of effort and payoff–”is this degree program worth my time?”
But as humans, how do we define worth? What inevitably makes a human ‘worthy’?
Using the definitions and examples above, we may think that as a human if we add ‘value’ to something then that it can define our worth.
Let’s take a look at a few definitions of value:
Value: noun
estimate the monetary worth of (something).
consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of.
Okay so...
Is it our salary from our job that adds our value? But that can change so often and it’s actually the actions we are taking to do the job and not so much us ourselves. So not that.
And who has the opinion of a human–is it an external thing? This must mean if an external source– a job, partner, friend, or an opportunity deems a human being ‘worthy’.
The problem with all of this above is that value and worth are words that humans define about objects or others–but it is the human doing the deciding about the worth.
Are you following me? I hope so.
So, if humans dictate the worth of things, then the decision of worth comes from within us.
I have agonized so much with this concept over the years. I recently had an epiphany.
I was thinking about all my recent achievements and how I didn’t get that ‘excitement’ I normally feel when I achieve. I have so many external things–my apartment, art, degrees, career to name a few— to show that I am ‘successful’. However, I actually don’t feel any more worthy because of all of this. New achievements and milestones feel like a normal progression of growth in my life.
When I realized that it wasn’t any of these things that I was doing that made me people love me or made me love me, I felt my self-image crumble a little. I thought all these externalities would allow others to see my worth. I truly thought that they were products of my worth. But I wasn’t fully understanding the definition.
I believe I had this shift because I rely on these external sources to give me the validation I can’t give to myself. However, it is no longer working. This painful truth further illustrates that worth comes from the person determining the worth. This is actually quite liberating. You mean, I can actually determine what something is worth to me? Including MYSELF? From my conclusion, yes.
It’s worth the extra effort to work on myself and face painful truths because then I am happier.
It’s worth the sacrifice to go back to school because my career prospects will be full of options and higher pay.
It’s worth it to walk away from people or situations that don’t align with my values or meet my expectations because it creates space for people who do.
And I am worth all this because I fucking say so.
After reading this, I hope you are inspired. Ask yourself, how will you determine your level of worth?
This week I will commit to reminding myself that I get to choose. I will respect my current and future self to make decisions and actions that leave me fulfilled, happy, and energetic because it’s worth it to feel that way.
