A Person is a Person of Worth
By Kiersten Williams, LPC
Worth, in accordance with the definition of Merriam Webster, can be defined as “the relative usefulness or importance of something as judged by specific qualities.”
So, what should we do with this definition – when it comes to the worth of a person, how would you define it? Should we define a person’s worth by the things that one can offer, one’s looks, one’s intelligence, one’s skills, one’s perseverance? How can we truly define the worth of a person? A word commonly associated with worth is the word worthiness, as well as “enough-ness.”
It’s heartbreaking, the number of conversations I have had in personal and professional conversations where deep down, people feel as though they have no worth, or feel a lack of being enough. Yet, it is so easy to see the worth, the value, and the ability of everyone around us.
So… why is it easy to see the worth in others, and so frustratingly difficult to see the worth of a person, a valuable and wonderful human, in ourselves? And, what makes a friend a person of worth? Is it just what they do for you? Is it the job they do, the identity that they have, what they were born with?
What makes a person a person that has worth? There are many philosophical schools of thought as to what makes a person worthwhile. I posit that worth is intrinsic, a gift given to each person at birth. That worth can be nurtured and strengthened, or brushed aside and forgotten, depending upon our life experiences and choices. Everyone holds an amazing capacity to do many things, including working to find and nurture their worth within themselves.
However, it is ok to see the worth in the people around us and encourage them as well! In our friends, in our family (found and/or biological), sometimes our feeling of worth can seem neglected; our loved ones can support us in our journey towards restoring and understanding our worth.
We hope that you feel that you are a person of worth, though we understand that sometimes we feel that our worth is not present. We would love to help you work through nurturing your intrinsic worth! If you have any questions or would like to follow up, please reach out to us at Owens and Associates. We would love to hear from you! Our number is 847-854-4333, and you can email us at admin@owenscounseling.com.