Proverbial Value

Proverbial Value
By Diane Abdo, Psy.D.

An old Chinese Proverb reads:
“If you want one year of prosperity, grow seeds.
 If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees.
 If you want a lifetime of prosperity, grow you self-worth.”
 
        Imagine the possibilities if one invested daily in their personal worth.  Financial experts teach us that the discipline of saving and strategizing our steps with money builds the foundation for future wealth.  In a similar way, if we consciously invest in the disciplining of our thoughts, beliefs, philosophy and behavior, we can build a strong sense of confidence, empowerment, purpose and self-worth.
 
        Positive self-worth is the foundation of success.  It relies upon faith, belief, conscientious intention and integrity-based action.  It is a reflection of who you are at your core and it is not measured by another’s view or opinion of you.  It is a state of being that resides along the road where honesty, respectfulness, conscience, and action meet.
 
        Some succeed financially in life, yet do not have a core belief in their value.  These individuals have a fragile relationship with their success and personal value.  Perhaps they do not see or have not experienced the connection between their inner life and their choices of action.  Therefore, they might feel unsure of themselves or dependent upon others to define them and their value. 
 
        We cannot succeed if we base self-worth on external factors as doing so leaves us vulnerable to the whim of others, anxious, and dis-empowered.  In order to be prosperous, however you define the concept, we must cultivate respectfulness, manage our inner critic, prioritize integrity, and seek meaning through personal growth.  We must become students of life and humbly commit to the search for our truth.  We must discipline our inner life in order to see benefit in our outer life.
 
        Along the path of development of self-worth, we may encounter limiting beliefs that interfere with our confidence.  Becoming aware of our limiting beliefs is an important step in the development of our self-valuing.  Perhaps we stumble on negative messages from earlier in our lives that we absorbed as truth without realizing we could question them.  Identifying and challenging these limiting beliefs is part of the process of clarifying our truth and committing to our unique intent and purpose.  As we distinguish our truth from the messages imposed upon us by others, and as we seek non-judgmental  understanding for the purpose of growth, our personal value deepens and strengthens within us.
 
        For a healthy and balanced self-valuing process to develop, it is essential to recognize the difference between power and empowerment.  The desire for power is ego based and requires one person having more and the other having less.  Empowerment, for our purposes here, refers to the ability to independently develop and thrive effectively and with a sense of hopefulness and strength.  When our philosophy and conscientious intention are consistent with our actions we are led to feeling purposeful and empowered.
There is authenticity in leading one’s life from a respectful and self-valuing place.  The fact that this perspective can hold up under scrutiny or pressure from others reinforces one’s confidence and purpose; thereby strengthening one’s self-worth.
 
        So, as our Chinese wise ones knew, self-worth is the root of sound prosperity.  Nurture it daily through thought and deed and watch it grow.

Dr. Abdo wants you to connect with your inner peace to experience and develop the sense of empowerment that is rooted in this awareness.  Dr. Abdo believes that, with personal knowledge and enhanced life skills, an individual can actively participate in the course of his or her journey freed of unseen and potentially defeating influences.  She approaches her efforts to help others grow with the deep belief that we must be consciously and proactively involved in the dance steps of our lives to reach our goals and actualize our dreams. 

For more information contact Dr. Abdo at (561) 393-5363.