Building a Sense of Self

Photo by Drew Coffman

Our identity morphs throughout our existence. At first, we change with every interaction and later we start to find a sense of self and align ourselves instinctively with people who share our values. By the time that sense of self kicks in, we might have consumed quite a few unfiltered beliefs. The challenge is building the sense of self while building a better you.

If you are like me and you had an interest at any point in life and you were swayed away from it without even realizing it, you’ll understand the power that other people’s believes hold on us. The paradox is that growing takes selective learning based on self-founded values. But to build these values, we need to explore and learn. Both processes happen in parallel. By being aware of this happening as much as we can, we can make a conscious decision on what the renewed foundation, the renewed self will be and how to build on it.

Self-Worth. Who Can Give It to You?

Photo by Zulnureen Shariff

Let’s be blunt – no one can. Self-worth is the result of decisions and actions that lift us up and allow us to be more than we used to be. If we didn’t exercise at all and we started doing 5-10-15 push-ups a day, that will contribute to our feeling of self-worth.

Self-worth is not a one time type of purchase, it’s more like getting an item that gets out of fashion the next day. We need to reinvest time every single day to be able to experience self-worth every single day. The good news is that the activities that make us feel worthy, also help us grow. And given that we have a set of values that encourages kindness, compassion and positivity, our own growth will reinforce our values and with that, build a stronger sense of self.