Word-Of-the-Week #2022: Self-worth
March 12, 2026 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #2022: Self-worth
Self-worth – the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person; self-esteem; self-respect.
Do you recognize and acknowledge the things you do well? Are you focused on making and keeping close friendships?
This week features the final part of “If You’ve Already Accomplished These 11 Things, You’re More Successful Than An Average Person” by Alexandra Blogier at YourTango.com
To Recap: Everyone defines success differently. Some people measure success by career achievements, money, or material comfort, while others base it on strong relationships, emotional health, and how fulfilled they feel on a day-to-day basis. Success is personal, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to recognize. In fact, there are certain life accomplishments and internal shifts that quietly separate truly successful people from everyone else.
- You show up as your authentic self
- You commit to lifelong learning
- You set goals that actually matter to you
- You approach challenges as opportunities to grow
- You make mistakes and learn from them
- You hold yourself accountable
- You build and maintain a support network
- You communicate with intention and clarity
- You make time for fun and joy
If you’ve taken time out of your daily routine just to have fun, you’re more successful than an average person. Having fun is a simple practice that will make you feel good. Having fun boosts your mood and keeps your mental health balanced.
In his book, “The Fun Habit: How The Disciplined Pursuit of Joy And Wonder Can Change Your Life,” psychologist Mike Rucker writes, “Happiness is a state of mind. “But fun is something you can do. It doesn’t require education, money, or power. All it requires is intentionality.”
Rucker shares that fun requires being active and intentional. Fun can involve other people or be done alone, but it’s something you choose for yourself, and it gives you a sense of awe and wonder that goes beyond your ordinary experience.
Your version of fun might involve blowing bubbles while listening to disco music. It might be taking a walk and leaving your phone at home. Whatever your definition of fun is, seeking it out regularly makes you happier, healthier, and more successful than an average person.
- You prioritize close friendships
If you’ve focused on making and keeping close friendships, you’re more successful than an average person. Staying socially connected is the antidote to loneliness, as psychologist Guy Winch explained in a conversation with YourTango CEO Andrea Miller on the “Getting Open” podcast.
Winch noted that loneliness can trick us into feeling more alone than we actually are.
“That’s what loneliness does — It convinces us that the people who we have, who are dear to us, who care about us, don’t care as much. And then it makes us reluctant to reach out, and that reinforces the loneliness, and it’s a very difficult spiral,” he said.
Winch shared that the quality of relationships is more important than the quantity. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t fit in with the popular kids or if you have only a few friends. If the people in your life see who you are and love you for that, then you’re more successful than an average person.
- You separate your achievements from your self-worth
If you’ve drawn a line between what you’ve achieved and your sense of self-worth, and you’ve accepted that you’re worthy regardless of those achievements, then you’re more successful than an average person.
Psychotherapist Susan Saint-Welch pointed out that having a strong sense of self-worth exists at the core of living your purpose and being your truest self.
“Feeling good about yourself is different than just being happy,” she explained. “It means you recognize something you do well or a quality that makes you feel like a good person. It is a sense of feeling worthy, that you matter and can make a difference in this world.”
You might drive a fancy car or have a powerful job, but you know that your worth doesn’t depend on those things, which is why you’re more successful than an average person.
This week’s focus is on your self-worth. Would you agree that the quality of your relationships is more important than the quantity? What is your definition of FUN? And are you making time for FUN and JOY?
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Word-Of-the-Week #928: Self-worth
May 19, 2022 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #928: Self-worth
Self-worth – the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person; self-esteem; self-respect.
Did you grow up with a controlling parent who knew what was best for you? Have you ever worked for a controlling boss?
This week features long time subscriber and friend Joe Moran who had this to say in response to WOW #923 on being transparent.
“It took me a while to say what I wanted in my life.
A big part of the problem growing up was that I had a very controlling father. While in some ways he had good intentions, he felt that he always knew best for me.
In my first job out of college I had a boss with the same type of controlling mindset who also felt he knew what was best for me. Since I was still living at home, this combination made it feel like I was living between a rock and a hard place.
By the time I reached my third job, I was starting to feel much more confident in not only my abilities as an editor, but in my self-esteem.
There was one incident in particular that summed it up for me.
On a Friday afternoon the page artist showed up for the first time all week. My boss expected me to work on Saturday. I told him that I was going to be out of town that weekend. My boss threw a tantrum and started banging doors. I held my ground. I was certainly not going to come in on a weekend to accommodate someone who was not pulling his weight. After that, I never had a problem with that boss.
In my next editing position at Pizza and Pasta magazine where we first started to get acquainted, I had been working for a little more than a year for my entry-level salary of $26,000 a year. This was in 1992. Since I was pretty much responsible for everything that went in each issue, with no staff, I felt I should get a raise.
After one of the office meetings I decided to stay behind in the conference room with the boss to make my case. When I had confidently finished, he gave me a $10,000 a year raise.
At that time, I felt very confident and my self-esteem was such that I knew my self-worth to the magazine and organization.
But the key to all of that was removing the controlling interest from my professional life: my father. Once dear old dad realized that he could not control my professional destiny, he finally let me live my life without interference. It took awhile, but it finally hit home that I had to live the life I had chosen.”
This week’s focus is on your self-worth. Do you feel confident about your abilities to do your job? How much responsibility do you have at work? Would you feel comfortable asking for a raise that you know you deserve?
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