527: Self-Worth is an Inside Job

Episode Summary

Self-worth is an inside job, but so many of us were taught to look outside of ourselves to feel valuable. In this episode, I'm talking about what self-worth really is, where it comes from, and how appearance, performance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, codependency, and outside validation can shape the way we see ourselves.

I also share part of my own story of growing up with my worth tied to beauty and appearance, and how that eventually led me on a deeper journey of building real self-worth from within.

You'll learn how to come back to fact and truth when comparison or self-judgment starts to spiral, how to practice self-validation in small everyday moments, and how to help children build healthy self-worth by validating who they are, not just what they do.

Key Takeaways

Self-worth is not something you have to earn
Looking outside of yourself for your worth leads to unhealthy patterns and relationships
Appearance, performance, helping, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can all become ways we try to feel worthy
Codependency can make our identity and self-worth feel tied to helping others
Children build self-worth through what is modeled and reflected back to them
Validating children for who they are is more powerful than only praising what they do
Comparison is not always the problem. The problem is when comparison turns into self-judgment
Stories are not fact and truth, and they can send us into anxiety, overwhelm, and awfulizing
You have the power to choose which thoughts you latch onto
Changing your physical state can help interrupt a negative emotional spiral
Small daily validations matter, even if no one else sees them
Healthy self-worth is built from the inside out