Worthy
How many of us really believe we are worthy?
Sadly, in our culture, we believe we are not enough because our worth needs to be constantly earned. There is a continual striving to do more, to achieve more, and to acquire more. If we do this, it will somehow make us worthy.
Most of us live with some level of shame because we will never measure up.
We pursue external identity markers we think are important to be worthy. Sometimes the markers are met and we come away with a sense of well-being. But, it doesn't last. If you are only as good as your last task, achievement, or acquisition, the striving for the next thing to do, achieve, or acquire must take over.
This can lead to anxiety and depression because, internally, you never feel you have become enough.
Existential-Humanistic psychotherapy emphasizes an unconditional, loving acceptance of oneself, a reverence for the life of each human being. We carry a tacit and implicit trust in other's innate wisdom about what is best for themselves.
Carl Rogers, a pioneer in humanistic psychology, emphasized unconditional positive regard to experience self worth. This allows the client to move into a more self-accepting stance.
When we come from an unconditional acceptance of ourselves, instead of from an anxious striving place, we will discover a relaxed and grounded sense of being within ourselves. Knowing we are worthy, we can authentically engage with our lives, through all its joys and challenges.
If we start with a sense of well-being and inherent self-worth, then the doing, achieving, and acquiring come from our authentic core, and not from a sense of lack. It comes from a congruent matching of internal desires with what you want to manifest in the world.
This regard is not a prescription for resignation or rationalization. It’s an invitation for an open-hearted acceptance and honest inventory of who we are now and who we want to become. Personal growth... is a given of the human journey.
Psychology Today
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