‘Am I Worth It?’: 15 Reasons Why You Are

Do you catch yourself wondering, “Am I worth it?” Are you often contemplating what self-worth is and why it matters? Then you’ve come to the right place.

You’re here because you’re curious about your worth and how to enhance it. Below are 15 reasons why the answer to “Am I worth it?” is a resounding yes.

As an added bonus, we’ll talk about the difference between self-esteem and self-worth, commonly asked questions about self-worth, and how to change your mindset from, “Am I worth it?” into an exclaiming, “Hell yeah, I’m worth it!”

Self-Esteem vs. Self-Worth

As a mental health professional, I want to acknowledge the huge difference between self-esteem and self-worth. I actually don’t believe in the concept of building self-esteem, and this is why:

Self-esteem implies that there is a level of value to you; a scale of worthiness decided by the external world.

If we are rejected or publicly fail, our self-esteem takes a massive hit. Then, our negative, limiting beliefs like shame, guilt, incompetence, and inadequacy are reinforced.

On the other hand, self-worth is defined by how you internally perceive yourself. It encompasses kindness, humility, and compassion.

And there is no comparing yourself to others. Self-worth says, “I am valuable” and ditches any contingencies.

Am I Worth It? 15 Reasons Why You’re Worth It

There are so many reasons why you’re totally worth it, and here are 15 of them:

1. You have potential

A valuable attribute of self-worth is that you have no bounds. You can do anything. You are limitless.

It’s a truly remarkable thing, when you think about it.

2. You’re unique

This could be the one and only reason you need to answer the question, “Am I worth it?”

You are uniquely you. Of the 7 billion people on this planet, no one is the same as you. You’ve have your own traits and characteristics. You’ve had individualized experiences and circumstances.

You are worth it because you are you, and you’re the only one.

3. You support others

A beautiful thing about you is how you support the people in your life. You are their cheerleader, their advocate, their accountability-partner, and their listening ear.

You build them up, show them you care, and support them through thick and thin.

4. You’re resilient

Let’s face it, you’ve been through some sh*t. But that hasn’t kept you down. You’ve jumped every hurdle the world has put in your path. And, more importantly, you’ve kept going time and time again.

So the next time you catch yourself wondering, “Am I worth it?” just think of how much you’ve overcome and how resilient you are. You’ll know the answer is a big YES.

5. You take initiative

When something needs needs doing, you do it. Period.

You’re not lazy or careless. You take the bull by the horns and ride that mofo until the job is done. And that is why you’re worth it.

6. You show gratitude

Gratitude is an undervalued characteristic. All too often we see people, places, and things being taken for granted. But that’s not your M.O.

Whether you’re simply showing appreciation to the store clerk or you go out of your way to make sure a friend feels valued, you recognize and thank the world around you.

7. You’re hardworking

Life isn’t a cakewalk. We don’t get handed things on a silver platter. And we don’t wake up one day and have it all. Instead, you put in the time and effort to make things happen for yourself.

You work hard at being successful in your job, in your relationships, and everything else you put your mind too. And that makes you worth it.

8. You’re non-judgmental

We live in a world of constant judgment. I mean let’s face it, we have 7 seconds to make a good impression on someone. And if we don’t, BOOM, we are seen as impotent.

But you don’t make those kind of judgments. You don’t label someone as good or bad. And you don’t see people as right or wrong.

You’re open-minded and curious about those around you. You’re able to be neutral and unbiased towards the world. And that makes you worthy.

9. You practice self-compassion

Talking down and saying mean things to ourselves gets us nowhere. It doesn’t help us reach our goals. In fact, the opposite is true. Negative self-talk slows us down.

You might not get it right every time, but that’s okay. It makes you human. Being kind to yourself and practicing self-compassion leaves behind inadequacy. And replaces it with support and encouragement.

You are worthy of self-love and self-compassion.

10. You’re trustworthy

There are too many things in this world that are unreliable. Politicians, the news, the list goes on and on. But not you, my friend.

You’re honest and the people in your life can consistently rely on you. Plus, you can’t spell trustworthy without worth!

11. You avoid comparison

We aren’t just keeping up with the Jones’s or the Kardashians anymore. Thanks to social media, we’re keeping up with everyone.

But you don’t play that game. You don’t waste your time and energy comparing yourself to others. It’s an admirable quality, and one that makes you so worth it.

12. You’re optimistic

It’s easy to be cynical in a world so full of chaos and negativity.

But even when the storm strikes, you know there is a rainbow on the way. You keep a positive attitude and stay optimistic about what’s to come.

13. You aren’t braggadocious

You don’t waste your breath bragging about yourself. Being egocentric isn’t your style. We’ll leave that to Kanye.

Rather, you find value in modesty and pride yourself on being humble. You’re quietly confident and know who you are, through and through.

14. You’re kind

There is a deafening amount of unpleasant and downright mean people out there. And those people have to live with themselves.

But one of the most simple determinants of worth is how you kind you are. As the beautiful saying goes, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.“

15. You care enough to wonder

The fact that you care enough to wonder if you’re worth it, tells me that you are.

How to Build Self-Worth

If you’re feeling down on yourself, I have good news. There are plenty of ways to build self-worth. Here are some ways to turn “Am I worth it?” to “I’m totally worth it!”

Play to your strengths

An article by Gallup tells us when we focus on our weaknesses, it drains our confidence. On the contrary, people who use their strengths every day are three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life.

If you’re having trouble identifying your strengths, or you are simply interested in learning more about your potential, I highly recommend Gallup’s StrengthsFinder 2.0.

The StrengthsFinder is a combined book and online questionnaire that helps you identify your unique strengths.

I have taken the Clifton Strengths assessment and have encouraged many others to do the same. Having a concrete explanation of your inherent talents is motivating and will absolutely build self-worth.

Set boundaries

Think of boundaries as your own psychological white picket fence or badass forcefield around you. Certainly, some things should be allowed on your property, but others need to STFO.

When you set boundaries, you are showing yourself and others that you are worthy of respect.

There are seven types of boundaries: physical, sexual, financial, intellectual, emotional, time, and expectation. Here are a couple examples of each:

• Physical: I don’t shake hands, but I’ll pound fists!
• Sexual: Talking to your partner about your preferences and desires
• Financial: I’m not going to buy that because it’s not in the budget
• Intellectual: I respect your opinion, but I don’t agree with…
• Emotional: I feel (sad, excited, happy, embarrassed) about…
• Time: My Sundays are reserved for time with myself and my family
• Expectation: I expect you to stay sober around my children

Setting boundaries, especially if you historically haven’t been great at it, takes practice and patience. But when you have those limits, you’ll start building your self-worth.

Use positive self-talk

How often do you catch that little voice in your head saying mean, negative things? Your stomach is too jiggly. You aren’t smart enough. You aren’t a good mom. Stop, stop, stop. ENOUGH.

When we say those things to ourselves, of course our self-worth is going to be low.

Instead, start using positive self-talk. Positive self-talk (AKA affirmations), is a great way to change your inner dialog and build your self-worth.

Say things like:

• “I am confident and capable.”
• “I am beautiful and strong.”
• “I love how smart I am.”

Challenge yourself

Leaving your comfort zone is hard to do.

Think about it like exercising. It’s so much easier to stay on the couch (in your comfort zone) than to get up and workout (take on a new challenge). But eventually, your body is going to want movement. It needs it.

Same thing for taking on new challenges. Your mind needs stimulation.

When we take on new, exciting challenges it gives our brain a boost. And more importantly, it grows our confidence. In turn, our self-worth skyrockets.

Am I Worth It: Q&A

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about self-worth:

What are the causes of low self-worth?

The primary cause of low self-worth is letting external factors influence how you feel about yourself. You aren’t defined by your job, your income, your social following, your relationship status, or any other outside forces.

How do I measure self-worth?

Remember that little talk we had about the difference between self-esteem and self-worth? Well, that helps answer this question.

Self-esteem is measurable because there is fee for entry, a price we pay. Self-worth is immeasurable. You can’t limit how worthy you are.

What determines self-worth?

Your self-worth is entirely determined by your internal compass and the qualities you possess. Self-worth comes from within.

If you aren’t currently feeling worthy, ask yourself: Why? What would make you feel better about yourself?

Do you need to show more gratitude toward the world today? Great, do it. Do you need to stop comparing yourself to others? Okay, jump off social media for awhile.

Your self-worth is determined by your own mind.

The Wrap Up: Am I Worth It?

Periodically feeling down on yourself is normal. We all ebb and flow.

But when our self-worth is low, we have tools and skill to build ourselves back up. We know that feeling worthy is an internal choice, not something the world can decide for us.

When you take a good, hard look in the mirror, you can see you are worth it.

Read next: 10 Simple Habits to Improve Mental Health + How to Start

If you are looking for new ways to feel worthy, I suggest reading I Got 99 Coping Skills and Being a B*tch Ain’t One. This book will help you feel so good about yourself and show you exactly why you are completely worth it.