Do You Know Your Worth? Yeah…Same.

“You don’t know your worth.“

Has the statement, “you don’t know your worth”, ever been said to you? Do you know your worth? Do you even know what having “worth” means, late bloomer?

Upon observing myself and other late bloomers’ behavior and how we conduct ourselves in the world, becoming aware of our worth seems to be an area in need of MAJOR improvement amongst us. I’ve encountered several individuals who seem to lack awareness of how valuable their presence is in the lives of those around them.

Us late bloomers who haven’t yet discovered our worth are easy to spot. It can look like:

• Feeling confused as to why others want to give to you, do for you, or be around you without requiring anything tangible in return.
• Underestimating the positive impact that you have on others.
• Staying in situations, relationships, and friendships that do not mutually benefit you.
• Questioning your capabilities.
• Playing it safe by avoiding taking risks.
• Not understanding that you as a person, with all of your great attributes, are enough to the right people.
• And more…

As you can see from the list above, failure to recognize our worth can hinder us if we don’t improve upon that ability. Long term it leads to us not receiving all that we are owed in this life. We miss out on career opportunities, fulfilling relationships, once in a lifetime experiences, and more.

I hate that we offer so much to the world, late bloomers, yet so often seem to not be aware of the fact that we do. Therefore, my goal today is to teach us late bloomers how to recognize our worth. I want to ensure that we never not know our worth again. With that in mind let’s talk about...

1. What is worth?
2. Why do late bloomers struggle to know their worth?
3. How can we improve our ability to recognize our worth?
4. Is it possible to build more worth?

What Is Worth?

Let’s talk about this concept called “worth”, or more specifically, “self-worth”. It’s important that we understand what this word means because by understanding the meaning, we can assess ourselves to see if we have it.

Spoiler Alert: Everyone has worth. In the same way that all money has worth, all individuals have worth.

Like money, that means that our worth is the value we offer out in the world. However, we are humans, not money. Therefore, let’s get more specific with this definition and say worth is the value we offer to others and ourselves in the form of our character traits.

Worth is the value we offer to others and ourselves in the form of our character traits.

Examples of worth:

• Your intelligence
• Your positivity
• Your kindness
• Your curiosity
• Your helpfulness
• Your dependability
• Your wisdom
• Your love
• Your ingenuity
• Your creativity

Here’s an interesting article I found on the different types of self-worth: There are 3 types of Self-Worth. Here’s how to define them, and live by them. | LinkedIn

Late bloomer homework: Ask yourself, what character traits do you possess that benefit yourself and others? Write it down. And no, the answer to this question cannot be “nothing”. You offer something, figure it out.

Why Do Late Bloomers Struggle to Know Their Worth?

So, why is it that late bloomers seem to struggle to know what we offer to others and ourselves?

We kind of touched on why it is that late bloomers struggle with worth in the post titled Side Effects of Late Bloomers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Basically, going a long time being overlooked and undervalued by others can have some effects on how we view ourselves. It may cause us to believe that we offer less or nothing at all because if we did why are we being overlooked and undervalued?

Well, the answer to the question above is simple. Late bloomers excel or show significant progress in particular areas later in life, after initially struggling or showing little progress. This means that some people, including ourselves, may not notice our worth until later in life, not because it never existed, but rather because it just takes a little longer to develop or see. Also, there are some character traits that others may recognize in us early on but not value. This is especially true if we are in the wrong social environments. As a result, there are some individuals who may never recognize our worth.

Additionally, you have to be taught to know and see your own worth. Typically, the first individuals to inform us our worth are our parental figures. If your parents/caregivers failed to consistently point out the qualities that make you worthy from a young age, you may go years being unaware of what those qualities are.

However, just because others don’t see or acknowledge your worth, that doesn’t mean you can’t begin to acknowledge it starting today.

Late bloomer homework: Remind yourself of your worth daily. Say your list that you wrote down aloud and as often as needed. “I am kind, loving, protective, innovative, …”.

How Can We Improve Our Ability to Recognize Our Worth?

Let’s say that you’re going along on this journey and you’re realizing that you’re having trouble figuring out your worth. That’s okay. Here are some strategies for figuring out your worth that I’ve come up with:

1. Ask close friends and family what qualities they value in you.
2. Think about the qualities that you value in those around you and ask yourself do you also possess those qualities?
3. Spend more time focusing on the things you do well, and less on the things you don’t.
4. Learn to accept and embrace compliments. Each time a compliment is given, that is an individual acknowledging your worth.
5. Avoid haters. These are people who make you feel worthless and are constantly pointing out your flaws. Matter of fact, just remove these people from your life.
6. Stop wasting time on people who can’t see your worth. It is not your job to convince them, either they see it, or they don’t. Focus on those who can see it.
7. Avoid people who give non-constructive criticism. That means, if the criticism isn’t meant to help you improve, you don’t need to hear it.
8. Stop giving to people who take more than they give. By doing so, overtime you teach yourself that you are unworthy of receiving.
9. Celebrate every achievement you make, big or small.
10. Give yourself your best.

Is It Possible to Build More Worth?

On to my personal favorite thing that I have discovered about worth so far, and that is…you can build more of it. That is the important thing for us to know and understand from this post, late bloomers. That unlike the worth of money, human worth is not a fixed trait. Rather, it is a dynamic aspect of one’s identity that can be developed and strengthened over time.

The key lies in cultivating a positive and realistic self-perception. This process often involves self-reflection, setting and achieving goals (see our post titled “How to Prepare to Achieve Goals“), acknowledging personal strengths, and learning from challenges and setbacks.

Embracing self-compassion and understanding that everyone has both strengths and areas for growth contributes significantly to building a healthy sense of self-worth. Therefore, surround yourself with supportive relationships and engage in activities that bring joy and fulfillment as this will enhance the journey toward building and sustaining self-worth.

Most importantly, recognize that this is an ongoing process, but with commitment and self-care, individuals can foster a strong and positive sense of self-worth.

Well! Until next time, let’s discover and build our worth :).

Later Bloomers!

-Thanks to S.E. for inspiring this post.