Do you know the difference?
I hear people using these terms incorrectly or interchangeably all the time. It’s important to understand each one and how they are different.
SELF-ESTEEM is how you think and feel about yourself, it’s your level of confidence. Your self-esteem comes from YOUR THOUGHTS about yourself.
SELF-WORTH, on the other hand, doesn’t come from our thoughts. It just is. Each one of us has infinite worth from the beginning of time, just because we are human, simply because we exist. It means we are of worth—important and lovable NO MATTER WHAT. We can’t diminish or increase our self-worth. It’s not something we need to prove or show. It’s constant and unchanging.
When someone says “I didn’t have self-worth,” what they really mean is “I struggled with my self-esteem” (or how I thought about myself). Everyone has self-worth, no matter what. It’s understanding this concept that can INCREASE our self-esteem.
Remember the story of the Ugly Duckling? Different than all those around him, he wondered how he would ever fit in. He was teased and bullied. He thought he deserved it—he didn’t understand who he was.
Many times, we do this to ourselves. We allow others’ opinions of us to matter—we let THEM define us, instead of finding out who WE ARE. Recognizing our light that shines from the inside out is the first step. Learning to value ourselves is the next.
Think about who you are and who you want to be. Write about it, connect with it, and practice it, until it becomes a more natural part of you. We are all growing and evolving every day in our understanding of ourselves. Take a look in the mirror and connect with the magnificent person you are. Understand your infinite worth and that it can never be diminished by anyone. Remove yourself from a harmful situation, and if necessary, reach out to a trusted adult for help.
When we truly understand that we have constant, unchanging, eternal self-worth, our self-esteem begins to rise. Think about this concept and how you can use it to increase your confidence (your thoughts about yourself). Knowing who you are as a child of God can change everything—but it won’t change your worth. That’s already been decided. You are magnificent…no matter what.
