Lesson#4 Love Yourself, you are worthy...


It’s taken me a while to write this post, not because I didn’t want to, but because it holds a lesson that’s deeply personal, incredibly complex, and honestly, difficult to work through.

We all carry layers, beliefs and perceptions shaped by childhood, relationships, environments, and experiences. These layers mold how we see ourselves, how we define our worth, and how we choose to show up in the world.

For me, the journey of understanding and redefining self-worth has been anything but easy. What made it especially challenging was unlearning the stories I used to tell myself, the ones I was conditioned to believe.

The Inner Critic

We all have an internal voice. For some, that voice becomes a harsh critic, loud, relentless, and unforgiving. Over time, those criticisms become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You start living out the very limitations you’ve imposed on yourself.

Here are just a few of the narratives I used to carry:

  • “I don’t really deserve this… because of x and z.”
     I invalidated my own desires, convinced I had no right to want more.
  • “It’s okay if people treat me this way… maybe I even deserve it.”
     I allowed mistreatment to go unchallenged.
  • “If I do things to please others, I’m a good person.”
    I placed other's comfort above my own, trying to earn worth through people-pleasing.
  • “I’m not pretty enough, how could anyone truly love me?”
    I doubted my value, convinced I was unlovable.
  • “Am I such a bad person that people don’t take the time to truly know me?”
    This led to deep feelings of rejection and isolation.

Isolation and Victimhood

For a long time, I coped by isolating myself. I saw myself as a victim, of circumstances, of others, of life. But that narrative didn’t serve me. It kept me stuck, small, and disconnected from my own power.

Eventually, I realized that healing required something more, taking responsibility. For my thoughts. For my choices. For how I show up, for myself and for those I love.

Redefining self-worth meant rewriting the script. It meant choosing to believe that I am enough, even when the world tries to convince me otherwise.

The Toxic Cycle of Validation

Seeking validation from outside sources is a dangerous cycle. It chips away at your spirit and hands your peace over to people who were never meant to hold it.

On the outside, I may have seemed fine. But inside, there was always a quiet voice questioning everything:

  • What if I’m not enough?
  • What if I can’t have that?
  • What if I’m not meant for more?

These limitations were self-inflicted. And they held me back in so many areas of my life.

The Lesson

Lesson #4: You Are Worthy. You Always Were.

If you’re on a similar journey, know this:
You’re not alone. These thoughts are not facts. And every story you’ve told yourself can be rewritten.

You are worthy of love, of joy, of peace.
You are worthy of showing up fully, for yourself and for those who matter.

As Buddha said:
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

~ Buddha

~Nerusha


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