The Importance Of Knowing Your Worth

I’ve never ever been able to adequately accept a compliment. My face gets hot, my heart starts to race, and I quickly groan ‘thanks’ under my breath and change the subject. See, I have this amazing way of undervaluing myself, my skills, my knowledge, my experience, and my dreams. I’ve never found myself worthy of living a happy successful life – regardless of how hard I work and how much I sacrifice.

As I think about changing career paths it has me evaluating myself, but more importantly my worth. I’ve worked tirelessly as a single mom for the past six years, somehow juggling working full-time and loving and hugging a walking piece of the future – my eight year old daughter. I’ve crafted my life to revolve around my daughter and ensure I’m always available to her, especially since I don’t have a strong support system. The once outgoing social butterfly I once was, now feels annoyingly uncomfortable in social situations. The once confident college student I once was, now questions every and all decisions at work, always needing a second opinion before making any kind of decision. Big or small. I’ve lost a piece of myself over the years, a piece of myself that was essential to being…me.

I’m unsure when I changed and started not being me. Lacking confidence and devaluing myself is crippling me in ways I didn’t know it could. It’s too easy to focus on the negative, to see all that is left to be done rather than appreciating how far you’ve come. And the truth is I’ve never given myself the opportunity to value my accomplishments. When I graduated college, there was no time to stop; I had to look for a career to better my family. When I successfully plan and execute fundraising events at work, there is no pat on the back, but more planning for the next event. This constant cycle of just going, going, going and not valuing and appreciating is creating an emptiness within me that shouldn’t be there.

Life for me, and for a lot of people, is about growth and progression. There is no way I can move forward and better myself and my family if I refuse to see the importance of knowing my worth. There will never be a better advocate and cheerleader for myself, than me. No one can go out and pursue my dreams, other than me. In today’s society there isn’t much time to stop and smell the flowers, to stop and appreciate…you. But the price in doing so is invaluable.

We, as women, are so instrumental, to so many people, in so many ways, and we must set aside the time to fully understand that. Life doesn’t need to be a race against ourselves. What we’ve accomplished and how far we have come must all be celebrated. It’s a process, and we must be willing to get uncomfortable to find and know our worth. I encourage you to stop and smell the flowers and appreciate all the wonderful things that make you, you. And if you don’t have time to do so, pluck those flowers and take them along your way so you can see your beauty everywhere you go.