T
IN CR EA CE I TO HO W
DEALING
WITH SELF WORTH AND
HOW TO INCREASE IT Self-worth begins at a very young age. If you have ever observed a toddler, you will have noticed how they jump, make noises and scream; all without any fear of judgment. They seem to give little attention to the clothes they are wearing, the style of their hair, and even to who are watching them. Children, simply, have not developed the notion that they are being judged by others. As these toddlers grow, they start to become aware of what society expects them to be. The beginning of school encourages children to be like each other. Sitting in the same chairs that are at the same desks, learning the same lessons and writing the same tests with the same pencils; at this age little to no individuality is promoted. This is the starting point to where these children begin to understand the “importance” of how society expects each and every one of them to act, think and behave. As children grow up and begin high school, being like everyone else becomes a necessity. They begin to wear the same clothes, the same shoes, and even speak in the same slang as their peers.
Growing up children are consistently reminded as to “what is and what is not acceptable.” This is when their self-worth becomes tainted, should these individuals not fit into any/all of the categories that their culture/society expects of them. Judgment is developed and insults, abuse or bullying can begin. If repeated enough times, the unsupportive and sometimes offensive messages received from others, subconsciously transmutes itself into our own personal, and sometimes limiting, beliefs.
(Should we repeat something to ourselves, whether it be good or bad, an adequate amount of times, our brain picks up on these signals and is programed to believe it. This is why affirmations and incantations have worked so well for so many people.)
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