Let's talk about – Self Worth
Artwork by Iris Zhou
When thinking about this post, I know there are a lot of ways to approach this big and important and personal topic. I wanted to share the ideas that have been on my mind lately as I work to strengthen my own self worth and make it shine. It always has ups and downs, but here are some things I try to remind myself:
Know your worth.
In the most literal sense, your worth can be considered how much you charge for your creative services. Even with that decision, however, considerations of how we personally value ourselves get involved. In my mind, our worth can be a mixture of what we’ve done in the past and all the things we know we do in the future. Add a bit of where you are today in there too. I’m learning more and more that your self-worth is an anchor. People may have ideas above and below, but they will never waver as much as they would without your anchor.
Remember your achievements.
This is a huge one for me in knowing my worth. When I am at school, surrounded by people doing very different, and usually more traditional, things than I am, my brain forgets all the cool things that I have achieved in my part of the world. Comparison creates blind spots when it comes to talking about accomplishments. Very few achievements are really equal in weight or value so our beliefs can be easily skewed. My event that I hosted may mean the world to me, but it’s not exactly the same as hearing someone else got an esteemed internship for the summer.
I encourage you to write down the accomplishments in your life. They’re accomplishments as long as they feel that way to you. I try my best to hold on to mine.
Trust your intuition.
We’ve all gotten this far with the decisions we’ve made. Many of the decisions you made were probably done so using your own unique decision-making framework. We all do it a little differently. I am amazed in the grand scheme of things of where I am today, and I was only able to get here with all the good and bad decisions I’ve made. Even if your gut isn’t always right, it will ultimately get you where you want to be.
The more you use this intuitive muscle, the more you’ll realize just how capable you are.
