7 Powerful Practices for Standing Strong in Your Self Worth

Standing strong in your self worth can be tricky sometimes. Women are taught to be nice, thoughtful and unselfish, to put other’s needs ahead of our own. Often we don’t let others know what we really need because either we don’t want to inconvenience them or we tell ourselves its easier to do it ourselves. Perhaps we’ve created such a super independent vibe that we feel we don’t even have the right to ask anyone for anything. We can turn all of this around by learning to tell the truth to ourselves and others, speak up, invite new experiences and stay centered on what supports our own journey. Here are seven practices you can use to stand strong in your self worth.

1. Speak your truth, especially when it is hard.

Speak your truth, especially when it is hard. Take responsibility for saying what is true for you in clear and kind ways. Only you can create healthy boundaries by sharing your limits and preferences with the people around you. Remember that you cannot control how people react. Have the confidence to ask others to clarify the information they also share with you by asking vulnerable questions like, “What did you mean by that comment?” or “Why did you make that choice?’

2. Meet your own expectations for yourself.

Place yourself in the center of your own world, where you can define yourself with an internal measuring stick. Meet your own expectations for yourself as opposed to meeting cultural expectations. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and tell you how worthy, important, beautiful, talented or capable you are. Pick yourself up when you fall down. Look fear in the eye, forgive yourself for past mistakes and release the need to be perfect.

3. Invite the unknown into your personal realm.

Stay open to new experiences. You can’t know what you don’t know. Often, we stifle ourselves by staying in the same circles, by repeating the same experiences and not venturing into the unknown. We can only change and grow when we allow new flows of people and information into our worlds. New perspectives can change everything and give us hope when we feel stagnant.

4. Focus on your own unique personal journey.

Stay focused on your own unique, personal journey. Do not compare yourself to others. Try not to use the experiences of others as proof of your own failures. Instead, if jealousy or judgment come up, look inside your own thinking and heal the wounds you have around your own accomplishments. Endeavor to be inspired and motivated by the happiness and successes of others, instead of intimidated, diminished or discouraged. Remember that you can never really know about the struggles or the journeys others have had to arrive where they are.

5. Listen closely to the still, small voice inside.

Pay attention to the voice inside. It usually starts with a soft whisper, not a roar. Follow your gut feelings to get really honest about what lifts you up and what drains you. Do what makes your heart happy even if you aren’t getting approval from those around you. The things that really matter to you are yours to hear. You have a powerful opportunity to tell the truth to yourself when the subtle voice speaks.

6. Teach others how to treat you with respect.

Be willing to teach others how to treat you. Know that it isn’t selfish to look after yourself and have preferences and to share what you need and want and what matters to you. You are teaching others how to treat you, by the way you take care of yourself. Valuing your own time, talent, creativity and worth will return to you in the form of respect others have for all you stand for.

7. Strive to be a generous person.

Live in a spirit of generosity. Believe and hope the best for others. Try not to be petty. Notice that when you feel like you need to try and diminish someone else it’s most likely an attempt to feel better about yourself. Leave gossip and rumors behind. Be a generous listener. Also, be generous to yourself as it will make you happier and therefore more able to be a gift to others in your life.

Where in your life could you be more generous to yourself? To others? What new experiences or invitations into unknown worlds have been knocking at your door?