Our Own True Worth

In the last few days, I have been pondering on my life legacy and accomplishments. I have to say, though, that while doing that, at times I slipped into the unconscious, almost automatic, comparison to others, thinking: I have done pretty well compared to this person, or I have not done well compared to that one. The interesting thing was that by doing so, I felt a surging dissatisfaction and a plethora of negative feelings, including self-commiseration.?

I know I am guilty as most of us, of continuously comparing ourselves not only to others but also to unrealistic expectations mostly fabricated for entertainment or marketing purposes. The truth is that our worth is not found in the comparison to others but in what we have become, or, in other words, how we have lived our values and principles. In the end, the question I really need to ask myself is: am I a better person now than when I entered this life? And if I am totally honest, I will know inside. Deep inside.?

We are not the centre of the Universe but we are certainly at the centre of our circle of influence. So, if I have done right and have been good to others, hopefully those that have noticed have done or will do something with it. And as long as I feel good about myself inside and at peace with my life, that is what really counts. If you think about it, we are but a speckle of sand in the vastness of the Universe. If you ever went to a stadium to watch a football or soccer game and you see thousands of people a number the size of a town in such a comparative small scale universe, and think “I am so little here,” imagine comparing yourself to the billions of people that now live on this earth and the billions who have lived before and will live after us. This is a humbling thought. We are not that important after all. But we can be of importance to others that may need us, and certainly important to ourselves while we try to determine true value in this life.

Again, the world in which we live today tells us that our sense of worth is based upon what is seen or accomplished. We are measured by possessions and wealth, physical appearance and dress styles, social status and achievements. Too many of us strive to gain acceptance using these standards, trying to enhance the perception of our worth by those who are part of our lives as well as those who view us from afar. If we are not careful, we can let others determine and establish our standards and feelings of self-worth. We can become someone else’s image of success rather than our own.

Harry Emerson Fosdick once mentioned the prayer of a weaver who said: “O God, help me to hold a high opinion of myself”. In other words, the weaver prayed that he would value himself for what he was rather than for the opinions held by others. William Shakespeare also said:

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

[Hamlet,?act 1, scene 3, lines 78–80]

Patricia Holland once stated: “We are becoming so concerned about having perfect figures, or straight A’s, or professional status . . . that we are being torn from our true selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our own uniqueness, that full and relaxed acceptance of ourselves as a person of worth and individuality.”

Maybe you would like to be Elastigirl, with the ability to reach around corners and hug a roomful of people. Or maybe Superman is more your style, with superhuman vision, agility, and speed. Who couldn’t use that most days? Well, these characters and their powers are of course fictional. But have you wondered what your spiritual “superpower” is? You can have a superpower greater than that of any fictional power ever conceived. It is the power to change, to become. And that change comes in small steps, but once it comes it changes you forever!

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