Discover Your Self-Worth

Self-worth is elusive, but invaluable. Raise your hand if you’ve ever told yourself any of these things: I’m not smart enough for that. I’ll never be cool enough to hang out with those girls. He’ll never like me because I don’t look like her. I’m just not good enough.

If you recognized any of those statements, you’re not alone. I’m pretty sure that if you’re a girl in high school, you’ve thought things like this about yourself. It’s totally normal- we all know it’s easy to judge yourself when pictures of impossibly gorgeous celebrities are posted all over billboards, Instagram, and TV. Our culture puts so much emphasis on feminine beauty that the pressure to be beautiful and sexy can feel overwhelming. I mean, if the conventional beauty standard is long, thick hair, clear skin, and long legs, is it any wonder that 70% of teenage girls feel hopelessly inferior?

But answer this question: Would you tell your sister, your niece, or your best friend that their self-worth relies on their outer beauty? No?

So why would you tell yourself that?

Your self-worth is not determined by your face, your skin color, where you shop or what path you choose to pursue in life. And it’s not determined by how you compare to others, either. We all compare ourselves, which is okay occasionally, but it can be horrible for your self-worth if you’re constantly criticizing yourself. While it can be hard to rise above your own negative thoughts, remind yourself that you’re important and worthy of love simply because you are you! Other people see your worth and may even be wishing they could be more like you!

So, what can we do to combat these miserable feelings of insecurity and unworthiness?

• Try getting involved in a local nonprofit
  Coming from personal experience, volunteering even once a week can make you feel like you’re an important contributor to an organization that’s doing good in your community.
• Start keeping a diary
  Keep an actual, physical diary that you can write in and keep somewhere private. Whenever you feel insecure or unloved, write about what is making you feel that way and always end it with a list of things you like about yourself, or the things you’ve been blessed with in life.
• Build up the confidence of girls in your life around you
  Tell the shy girl in your math class that she looks nice today. Write your best friend a note telling her why you admire her. Tell your mom that she’s important to you. While these gestures of encouragement seem small, they can absolutely mean the world to someone else. If you make other girls feel important, you will increase your own self-worth; always remember that people may not remember what you said or did, but they’ll remember how you made them feel.