It's interesting because this seems like such an easy question, but at one point I didn’t know the answer to this question at all. I had no clue where to begin with this question because honestly I did not think I had value. There was a time where I did not see my value at all. I couldn't understand what others saw in me. Wow--so strange to say this out loud, but it absolutely was the truth at one time in my life. Thankfully, there was a point where I begin to see a glimpse of my value and I started conducting my life differently in all aspects.
Interestingly, sometimes when I talk to others, they can identify with me on this for periods in their life where this was true for them also. Sometimes, I run into those who are still grappling with this question for themselves, but could easily speak positively about someone else.
Now, any of us could rattle off the value that our close friend, child, spouse, sibling or other family members bring to the world. But, what about for us, what value can we say we have? How does our value play out in our lives? There's a lot there that I have come to find for myself when I think about this.
When I think of value, I would define it in pretty simplistic terms. There are a few words or descriptions that pop in my mind right away when I think about how I would denote value. Moreover, there are various meanings that could signify value, but to me it means the following: Value means "of worth". It means important. It means to be handled with care. It means a dollar amount could be placed on it. It means some people may see the value and others may not based on their own influences or experiences. It means regardless of what external perspective, opinions, or even what others may think there in lies value still. What else comes to mind when you think of value?
Hmmmm….when we know our value how do we see ourselves, what do we allow, what boundaries are set in place so that our value is upheld? Is it possible for others to see your value when you don’t see it in yourself? What happens when you don’t recognize your value?
These are questions I had to ask myself. These are questions at times that I have been unsure about. These are realities that I have not understood for so long and things I have had to wrestle with for years. I realize now through my own life lessons that it was in not knowing the value I possessed that lead me down the wrong path at certain times.
Leading a life where there is confusion surrounding value and the place it should have in your life can create havoc personally and professionally if you are not careful. It can lead to low self-esteem, not fully accepting the love of others, lack of confidence, lack of security in yourself or others, unfulfilled dreams, goals and aspirations, a life of regret, it can lead to situations where you may be taken advantage of, you may allow the wrong decisions to dictate your life, you may allow mistreatment, and/or many other areas that may not be listed here that may leave you frustrated, confused, unsure of how to handle certain situations, melancholy, or even tearful at times. All of these areas may ultimately lead to much disappointment and suffering unnecessarily in your life.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive and you may think of other areas that may be affected when value is misplaced. I do say the specifics above from my personal experience and do realize that these areas can be detrimental to realizing all of who you are. When I think about it now, I realize knowing your value is so important to living your desired life and for so long I did not live a thriving one because of this missing piece.
There is so much value in who you are as a person just as you are, the qualities you possess inside, your sense of humor, your intellect, your wisdom, your heart, how you care, your internal and external beauty, your life mission to help others, your talents, your gifting and many more areas that you know God has given you, and maybe even other areas God is still revealing to you about yourself.
As you can see your value is great—there truly is no amount of money that can quantify your value. But, one thing about it—your value deserves to be preserved. It deserves to be protected. It deserves to be seen if by no one but yourself and God. Why? Because if you don't know your value, then no one else will either. Therefore boundaries must be set, guard rails must be put in place for you to thrive in your life, for you to live abundantly, and for you to live free in knowing your value.
What I described above about the many areas of inherent value that exists in each of us, I see in myself now, thankfully, and God continues to reveal more as I sit with Him. What about you? What value do you see in yourself? Do you see any of the areas that I described above in yourself or are there other qualities that I did not mention that you know to be true for yourself? What other areas do you see in yourself that exemplify your value?
Do you know how important you are? Do you know how many people need you to see your value for the sake of your life mission? If you do, that's great! If not, it's definitely time for you to see your value, so that your gifting can be shared with the world. The value that lies inside of you is countless.
Let's move through life in a greater capacity, in a way that breathes personal and professional value. Knowing our value has great influence on our families, workplaces, friendships, and communities.
What does value look like for you now at this stage in your life? Even now my value looks differently to me than it did even a year ago. What about you? How should value show up in your life now compared to last year?
Let's do it. Lets step into the value that we possess every single day. If I can do it, so can you! If you are already there on this, reach back and help someone else find their value. It's important that we share what we have learned, so others can shine too.
