Tag Archives: self worth

Spirituality

What Are You Selling?

Madison Avenue is still alive and thriving. Whether we realize it or not, we are being marketed to all the time. And they know what they’re doing.

Years ago, I took my three year old son to a football game. It must have been wishful thinking on my part to think he would care about the game at such a young age. Yet, during a commercial break he heard a gong. My son looked up and said, “That’s Taco Bell!” Yes, marketing is effective.

We might fall for the latest marketing gimmick. We believe something is “new and improved” and our expectations are raised. But what are you telling yourself?

What you believe about yourself is going to come true. In my experience I have met people who think they are a nobody, that they have nothing worthwhile to contribute. This is a lie they have chosen to believe.

Life is a constant growth process, not a destination. Consider where you were twenty years ago when you want to see how far you’ve come. You might surprise yourself.

Take inventory of your life. Focus on the good you have done. Telling yourself the truth is part of holding yourself accountable. Meditate on what you do well. Do more of those things.

You are marketing to yourself. Make sure there is truth in what you are advertising…

Standard
Spirituality

Know Your Value

From my observations, there are quite a few insecure people out there. It’s displayed through arrogance, selfishness and narcissistic behavior. People aren’t born this way. So, what is the genesis of insecurity?

Perhaps it begins in childhood. Parents are a child’s first teacher. The parents might project their own insecurities on their children, making them afraid of experiencing life fully. This was my experience with my parents. And mine enforced their fears with violence. Not a good combination.

Self-worth comes from within. Inner confidence is shown when we see people quietly going about their work, not calling attention to themselves. Confident people make things happen. They don’t care who gets the credit.

We are working for an audience of one. God alone knows everything. We cannot hide from God. The remarkable thing is that God still loves and accepts us no matter how badly we screw up. Humans are not this way.

It took a lot of inner work for me to jettison my insecurities from childhood. When I did then I could see my value. You can, too. Face your inner demons and start to live meaningfully. It takes time, but it happens if you refuse to give up.

You have great value. Other people need to hear what you have to offer. Believe in yourself and get to work…

Standard
Spirituality

How Ya Looking?

People talk a good game. But there are several better ways to take the measure of another person. Let’s examine.

The eyes tell a lot about someone. They show us what is in the heart.

Are you a good poker player? The best poker players watch the body language of the other players. It’s because of this I don’t play poker. If I have two great hold cards, I’m like a puppy dog wagging his tail. It’s unmistakable.

Pay attention to the manner in which people walk. The people who walk fast, keep their heads up and shoulders back are displaying inner confidence. You can’t fake it.

The way we carry ourselves is representative of our inner self image. This is why I encourage others to do the difficult, inside work on themselves. Getting rid of past hurts, mixed messages we believed about ourselves and false beliefs will bring out the best version of yourself.

Do the work…

Standard
Spirituality

Quality Work

Have you ever raised a teenager, especially a teenage boy? They have selective motivation. When they are assigned chores to help their family, they can be lazy and full of excuses. But given some free time for online video games, they will outwork the best of us to win their game.

Over the course of my life I have seen the quality of the products we buy go steadily downhill. In a former home I owned, the motherboard on my dishwasher would need to be replaced a couple times per year. And this was a “high end” dishwasher. High price, perhaps, but mediocre quality.

Unless you were born with a trust fund waiting for you, you have to work. There’s nothing more satisfying than putting in a good day’s work. The sense of accomplishment creates a sense of well being that goes beyond your output. You want to do it again.

Scripture tells us to “work like we are working for the Lord.” That’s a pretty tall order, but it gives us a benchmark.

If you answered yes to raising a teenager, don’t worry. There’s no need to get angry or frustrated with them. They will eventually figure it out. In the interim you gotta figure out their pain point. Up the pain and the behavior will change…

Standard
Spirituality

Post It

Recently, I had a podcast interview scheduled but the guest backed out at the last minute. From what I’ve observed since, this may have been a good thing.

The person I’m talking about here posts multiple times per day on her social media. This started a couple of months after she cancelled. Her posts have a common theme, herself. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just strikes me as a little self-centered.

I’m aware that I’m sounding judgmental. It’s not judgment. It’s the constant posting pictures of her in a private jet, a luxury hotel room, in a bikini surrounded by men half her age. And the pictures are filtered to the maximum. In reality, I’m hoping she sees the value in herself, not the images she creates. The image she’s creating is nice, but it’s not real.

See yourself through the eyes of God. He created each of us exactly how He wanted us to be. The road to genuine self worth begins here. But you gotta keep working on yourself because the road doesn’t end…

Standard