“Because You’re Worth It”

Are we living in an age of “Worth It”?

In recent years there seems to be more and more of a push for self-love, self-care, self-worth. These are all great and essential practices for a healthy, wholesome life. Worthiness is something that we often associate with these practices. Are we worthy enough to love ourselves, to look after ourselves, to be kind to ourselves. The answer is of course. Every single person on this earth is worthy, simply because they exist.

However, it appears as if the concept of worthiness has become tainted. Has worthiness become confused with self-entitlement?

“I Want the World, I Want the Whole World..”

“Give it to me NOW!” Verruca Salt, Roald Dahl’s infamous character from Willy Wonka, said it. We live in a time of NOW. In our current society we have become so used to a fast-paced, instantaneous lifestyle, whereby everything we want has to be gotten within an instant. We can flick through an entire series in an instant, receive text messages at lightening speed, see loved-ones from across the globe instantaneously via face-time, get next-day delivery on ordered goods from around almost anywhere around the globe.

We’ve gone from a society where not more than 25 years ago you had to pick up the home phone to call a friend, save up money for that dress you saw in a shop, wait years to see a loved-one that had travelled abroad. The funny thing is it seems we even appreciated these things more back then. Things that would feel like mere nuisances now. Have we lost the wonder of novelty?

Self-Worth to Self-Righteous

Not only are we perhaps losing our sense of novelty, but it appears we may also be losing our sense of empathy. Self worth has evolved into self-righteousness. We equate worthiness with entitlement. We’re worth it, therefore I am owed it. We expect perfection in everything, with no tolerance for human error. Most importantly we expect all this at the cost of other people’s feelings. This becomes a breeding ground for stress and anxiety. Self-entitlement and empathy cannot co-exist.

We need to take a big step back. In moments where we feel unjustly impatient and frustrated, seek empathy. Put yourself in other people’s shoes, embrace understanding and tolerance. Focus on all of the great things that do exist in your life. Focus on your needs and not just your wants. Broaden the mind and don’t be afraid to question certain things in life. We may not be owed everything in life, but we are ALL worthy of kindness.