Alright, let’s talk about your worth. Not the number in your bank account or the digits on your scale. I’m talking about your intrinsic, unshakeable, “you’re-a-human-being-and-that’s-enough” kind of worth.
Here’s the deal: Your worth is intrinsic. It’s baked into your very existence. It’s not something you earn, achieve, or win like some cosmic game show prize. It’s there from the moment you take your first breath to the moment you take your last.
But why? Why are you inherently valuable just for existing? Well, grab a seat, because we’re about to get existential.
First off, you’re a conscious being in a universe that seems hellbent on creating unconscious rocks. Do you realize how rare that makes you? You’re atoms that somehow got their act together enough to contemplate their own existence. That’s mind-blowing stuff right there.
Think about it. We don’t question the inherent worth of a sunset or a star or a tree. We don’t demand that a mountain justify its existence by being the tallest or the prettiest. They’re valuable simply because they are. And guess what? The same applies to you.
Your worth comes from your capacity to experience life. To feel joy, pain, love, and everything in between. To create, to connect, to leave your unique mark on the world. None of these require you to be the best, the richest, or the most successful. They just require you to be you.
Here’s a truth bomb for you: You were worthy the moment you were born, before you had achieved a single thing. And that worth hasn’t changed. It can’t be increased by your successes or decreased by your failures. It’s a constant, like gravity or the inevitability of awkward family dinners.
Your achievements? They’re the sprinkles on the sundae of your existence. Nice to have, sure. But they’re not the ice cream itself. You are the ice cream – complex, sometimes messy, but inherently valuable and worthy of existence.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But what about all the horrible people in the world? Are you saying they have intrinsic worth too?” Yep, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Their actions might be reprehensible, their impact on the world negative, but their basic worth as human beings? Still intact. It’s a package deal, folks.
Here’s the kicker: Recognizing your intrinsic worth doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve or achieve things. It just means you stop tying your entire sense of self to those achievements. It means you can pursue goals because they align with your values or bring you joy, not because you’re desperately trying to prove your right to exist.
So here’s your homework: Next time you’re tempted to measure your worth by your productivity, your popularity, or your pants size, remember this. You’re a conscious speck in an infinite universe, capable of love, creativity, and questionable dance moves. And that, my friend, makes you invaluable.
Your worth isn’t something you need to earn. It’s something you need to recognize. It’s been there all along, patiently waiting for you to notice it. So maybe it’s time to stop chasing worth and start embracing it.
After all, you’re already enough. Everything else is just extra credit.