Self-worth is a concept that many are able to define but unable to obtain. It consists of a lot of wondering, a lot or searching, and a lot of waiting. It’s wondering, “Am I’m fine just the way that I am?” It’s searching for worth and value—maybe first in others, then within yourself. And it’s waiting to see if one day it will find you….or will it?

Maybe you don’t have it yet. Maybe you’re still looking for it. Maybe you’re wondering if a person can really even have it. It’s possible that, for you, self-worth lies in appearance. It’s money. It’s education. It’s religiosity. Let me assure you, IT ISN’T ANY OF THOSE THINGS.

Our self-worth is the very foundation that we stand on. It has the potential of being a corrupt authority or a gentle leader that surveys the challenges and obstacles before you, telling you that you CAN or you CAN’T. It will guide you through your challenges to the other side or it will abandon you in the belly of your darkest hour.

We all have a self-critic. Every. Single. One of Us. The difference between people who are successful in this life and people who are not, is not that they do not possess a self-critic; but rather, that they know when to listen and when not to. Self-doubt is a grammatical error that distracts from the greater message of your life. Listening to the self-critic when you shouldn’t may lead to self-doubt and self-doubt is a question mark where there should be an exclamation mark.

What remains lost on so many people is the idea that your life can be question mark free. You can live in assertiveness. You can live in the freedom of the RIGHT CHOICES. You ARE capable and you ARE intelligent and you WILL succeed! But the greatest freedom comes in recognizing that failure is inevitable and more, that it is OKAY; in fact, you will succeed despite your failures and short-comings.

You see, challenging self-doubt and replacing it will a secure sense of self-worth is fundamental. It is absolutely necessary. It is the only way to be you.