Value of Myself

Have you ever felt unworthy? Have you ever felt that you can’t meet the expectations of the people around you?

Have you felt or feel as if though your life hasn’t amounted to anything?

On Jan 24, 2020, I was at that point.

I can remember pumping gas, having just left the welfare office. My visit to the office went well but the feeling of failure hit me all at once.

As I pumped gas I begin to evaluate my life and where I was compared to where I felt I should be. Why did I go from, what society deemed a good paying job, to applying for welfare benefits? I was beating myself up to the point that the only thing that could follow was depression.

I had recently made a risky career change and it didn't turn out the way that I expected and regret hit me like never before. Now the visit to the welfare office put my self-esteem at rock bottom.

As I finished pumping my gas something came upon me that took me out of the negative direction that I was heading toward.

There was a voice in my head that told me your value is not is what you have or don’t have. Your value is not what other people think it is. Your value is not something that’s controlled by anything outside yourself.

At that moment I began to understand my life and everything around me through the lens of value.

Even 30 minutes after my gas pumping epiphany, I can remember exiting the freeway and being stopped at a red light next to a truck full of pigs. I let my window down and just to get a better glimpse of the animals also taking in the foul stench that came with it.

I began to think how society views a pig's value was similar to how society can be with people, a person is devalued when they can't benefit a certain individual but when their is something they can gain that person instantly becomes valuable.

Pigs are looked at as stinky disgusting animals but their also one of the most valuable animals on earth.

The same people that are disgusted by a pig in their presence are some of the same people who are asking “where is the ham” on Thanksgiving.

As the late January day in 2020 came to an end I discovered what has proved vital in my life today.

The value of myself.

In discovering my value I realized how so many people in our world don’t know their value.

I discovered that all the conflicts in the world that involved people had something to do with how those people felt about their value.

People want to feel valued and when they feel another person is a threat to that they act out in destructive ways.

It made me even realize that some of the conflicts within my own family we’re caused by certain family members being unable to be happy for the next person because they felt another individual’s success would lower their value.

By seeing the power of knowing your value I realized that I found a way to make a change in my community, my country and all over the world.

Over the last year and a half, I’ve started to create content to encourage people to recognize that they have value and that they don’t have to gain their value through purchases or the validation of others around them.

I want to show people that were all born with value that no one can ever take it away from us. You have gifts that you’re born with that will always be there whether you’re rich or poor.

In a day in age, where were constantly shown ways that we don’t measure up or who we are is not good enough, I want to create encouragement that allows people to know they are good enough.

I want to show kids in violent neighborhoods that they do matter and their life means something.

I want to show that rich man, who just found out his riches didn't fulfill him the way that he thought it would, that he still has value even though he feels miserable after finding out that money is not his value.

I want to show that woman who was in abusive relationship that she does have a value even though that man told her she didn't.

I want to show that boy without a father that even though his Dad decided not to be apart of his life, he still has value.

Most of all I just I want as many people as possible to find their value so that they can add value to others. People who know their value are more likely to see value in others.

Most of time the reason that people refuse to make others feel good about who they are is because they don’t personally feel good about themselves.

Over the last year and a half, I’ve come up with several ideas to get people to recognize value. One of the first steps that I've recently taken was to starting an instagram (value_ofmyself) that encourages people to recognize their value.

It's the first of many ways that I plan to inspire individuals to recognize their value.

I'm currently working on books, a website, a podcast and products that will work to encourage people find their value. I'm a long way from where I see my vision for Value of Myself but I have no doubt that it will encourage people all over the world.

Writers Note: If you believe that helping others find their value can change the world please give our Instagram page value_ofmyself a follow and join me on the beginning of my journey.