I am alive because God had a way in which it wanted to express as me. I am a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for God to express Itself through my individual personality and character. God has made me unique and powerful. I am filled with goodness and joy, overflowing with Divine Ideas, ready to experience a wonderful life.

Whatever has happened in my past to limit my view of my worth is over. It is finished and I am finished with it. I let go of my low self-opinion, knowing that it was never the TRUTH of my being. Knowing my worth, I am set free of limitation and now attract all of the good into my life that has been waiting to get in. I am drawn to love and people who have the capacity to love me are attracted to me. Opportunities are finding their way to my door. Prosperity is my new claim and Joy is my new name.

I am permanently free of the old, negative person I used to be. Now my life begins. Now I am ready for the good life I have dreamed was once possible. I can accept it all and so it is.

Even though most parents love their children and try to encourage their self-esteem, much of our assessment of our own value comes from the culture we live in, or from the opinions of people around us. And our acceptance of that input is mostly unconscious. Few people have consciously constructed their self-picture through careful study and investigation. Most have assigned their worth based on unconsciously accepted ideas from the past.

I remember my 7th grade gym teacher, Mr. Nichols making a derogatory comment about my body that affected my self-image for decades. It took me years to realize that he was just regurgitating his own insecurities and poor body image. It’s just these kind of unconsciously accepted lies that destroy our self-image and sabotage our self-worth.

To some degree, we are all victims of victims. Because we come from generations of people who struggled to understand their value, we have inherited their confusion. Because we grow up in a world full of people unaware of their true value, it is easy to be infected with their disease. And it is just this background that lands many people on a teeter-totter of self-acceptance and self-denial; one that lifts way up in the air when things are going well, but then lands with a hard thump on the ground when conditions change. They think well of themselves when their bank balance is high and things are going good at work and home. They believe they have more value if they drive an expensive car or live in a distinguished neighborhood. They are proud to have earned a degree or promotion at work. But when conditions shift to the negative such as a job layoff or divorce, their self-worth abruptly sinks to the bottom and the ride on the teeter-totter suddenly isn’t fun anymore. Unfortunately many people spend their entire lives this way with their self-esteem bouncing up and down.

For most of us, self-acceptance is conditional. We find ourselves acceptable when we can lose weight, or finally find a decent relationship. Then and only then, will be alright. And until that day comes, we withhold our love and acceptance. There are dozens of conditions that must be met before we find ourselves worthy. Of course, this kind of conditional love keeps our self-esteem from ever rising. It’s like running a race with a finish line that keeps moving ahead. You can never make it to the end. You’re never going to be good enough!

The only way off of the teeter-totter of bouncing self-value is to gain a true perspective on who you are; one not based on other people’s opinions or the world’s infections. You have to begin to see yourself as a spiritual being, not just a human body with a history of experiences. Your self-worth must be anchored in something more solid than the shifting sands of daily human life or past achievements or failures. Your value must be grounded in something permanent and lasting, so you will be able to weather the storms of every-day life. This brings to mind the questions that must be answered so you can determine your true worth:

• Am I valuable because I have a job or make a living?
• Does my worth depend on body type or size?
• Am I worth more when I am in a relationship than when I am not?
• Is my value based on income, assets or position?
• When other people like me and approve of my choices, does that make me worth more?
• Is my self-esteem higher when I am feeling happy, and lower when I am not?
• Do other people’s opinions determine my worth?
• Does my own opinion determine my value?

When you can answer no to all of these questions, you have come to the end of the teeter-totter ride. Never again will your self-esteem spike and fall. Never again will it be based on outer conditions. You will have found the truth that all confident people stand on, the truth that will forever set you free of self-doubt and the mindless negative chatter that so many people endure each day.

You are valuable to life because of who you are, not what you have done. Your true worth has nothing to do with personal success or failure. It is not a variable that shifts with conditions. It is a permanently established truth that remains constant no matter what happens to you. It is not determined by other people’s opinions or what conditions are current in your life. Even your own opinion of your worth isn’t valid. Your value was determined by the Creator on the day you came to life.

Your true worth is as much a part of you as your dna. It is deeply rooted in the essence of your being. It’s as unique as your fingerprint and eternal as your spirit. Your value comes from the Presence of God that lives in, as and through you, in the once-in-a-lifetime pattern it has created as an outlet for its own expression.

You are much more than the body you occupy or the conditions you survive. You are the life of God making an entrance into the world as an individual spirit. When you identify yourself with that truth, your self-esteem will never again be questioned. The struggle to accept yourself as you are will be over and a personal freedom will enter your mind in a way you have never known before.

Stop determining your worth by the reflection in the mirror. Give up your own judgments and negative opinions about choices you should have made, but didn’t. Let go of the guilt and shame that others tried to impose upon you. Release the programming that has you beating yourself up everyday with negative self-talk. Stop it!

FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF
For many the journey to self-love seems like too far a path to travel. And if this is true for you, here’s a recommendation. If you can’t find something to love about yourself, at least find something you like. And then give all of your attention to it. By focusing on what you like about yourself, you begin to build self-esteem. You shift the focus of your attention (and your creative power) away from the negative on to the positive. This shift at first may seem very manual and forced. Like anything new you try (like learning to ride a bicycle) at first it will feel awkward. One day it will seem more natural to think well of yourself. Until then it may seem uncomfortable. That’s okay. Stick with it and it will become automatic.

Underneath the scrap-heap of judgment, opinions and unforgiving thoughts is where you will find your true self. Deep inside is the purity and innocence that you came into life with. There was a day when you had no negative self-opinion or body issues to resolve. No baby is lying in the cradle thinking, “Oh, if I could just get rid of these rolls of fat, then I would be worth something.” There was a time in your life when you knew your value and never questioned it. Now it’s time to get back to that knowing so you can remember who you are.

My dog, Jack knows who he is. He has a strong sense of self-worth. He’s not trying to be something else. He doesn’t wake up in the morning practicing meows. He doesn’t try to act like a cat or practice walking more gracefully, like his feline friends. He’s too busy being himself to wonder what anyone else thinks of him. And, he acts like he doesn’t care anyway! Jack has no self-esteem issues. And that’s because, like all animals, he operates from instinct alone. His mind is not conscious of choice, so he has to be exactly what God created him to be. You, on the other hand are different. Because your Creator designed you for its fullest expression, it has given you a conscious mind, aware of choice. You can choose to be what God has created and know your worth, or you can choose to deny it. You have to make this choice every day. Here are a couple of things to consider as you do:

1. Your mind is your greatest asset and how you use it determines the quality of your life.

You are valuable because you have imagination; the ability to envision life differently than you are living it. Never underestimate the power of this capability. The power of vision is what allowed us to build space ships that travel to distant planets. It is the source of dreams and dreams fulfilled. Every great invention or piece of art comes from this innate power.

Because we are the only species on the planet that possesses this grand power of imagination, we have dominion over the rest and a pre-ordained right to choose our own path in life. This power resides within everyone. No matter who you are, or what you have been through, you can still dream. You can still imagine life better. And that is the first step toward making it better.

2. You are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for God to be the unique person it has created you to be.

There’s never going to be another you, ever! God made just one. Nobody talks like you. Nobody thinks as you do. No one can love the way you can love. You’re an original piece of work, created by a Master Artist. Just think about how valuable that makes you.

Hanging in the Louvre in Paris, France is the original masterpiece called the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. His genius makes its way onto the canvas in a style and manner that has been evaluated and analyzed by art historians and critics for centuries. But still the question remains: What is it worth? What value does the painting hold? Since there will never be another one, what is the Mona Lisa worth—-$1 million, $10 million, $100 million? Obviously, the painting is priceless.

Now the question that remains is: How much are you worth? There’s never going to be another one of you. If the Mona Lisa is priceless, so are you. After all, you were created and designed by the Genius that inspired Leonardo da Vinci to paint.

Start to anchor your value in who you are, by what uniqueness God has placed inside of you. Remember: There’s never going to be another chance to be all that you are. This is your opportunity to stand tall, be proud, speak your mind and give your love to the world. It’s time to stop questioning your worth and accept the truth that you are priceless.

The truth is: Without a healthy self-image it’s nearly impossible to have a functional relationship, and that includes the relationship you have with yourself and God. And we have lots of people out there proving that every day; desperate for love, but never finding a quality relationship.

It’s one of the most frustrating problems that people have, really wanting to feel a close, intimate bond with someone but unable to succeed because of a distorted image of their own worth. They really want to find work that’s rewarding and fulfilling but they’re unable to attract it because they have no idea of their true worth or value.
Everything that works in life begins with healthy self esteem! Without a true love and appreciation for yourself, you really can’t succeed at anything else.

So, how do you build your self-esteem? How do you get to that place where you can look yourself in the mirror and say, “I love you,” and really mean it! For many of us, we get to the truth by digging ourselves out from under all of the lies we’ve been told over the years by good-intentioned people. Somewhere under that junk-heap of misinformation lies the truth of who you are. So, let’s start with what isn’t true about you and then, eventually we’ll find the truth we’re looking for.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY
In one hundred years or less everyone here will be gone. We’ll leave our bodies behind and go on to the next grand adventure in our soul’s eternal journey. It’s important to remember that we are not bodies. We are spirits! We are the Spirit inside that animates our bodies and uses them to get around from one place to another. They’re just a temporary vehicle for our spirit.

Recently I overheard two women talking about the Miss USA pageant. They said the winner worked out at the gym 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. I’m all for having a buff body but I don’t want to get to the end of my life on earth and have to face my creator with no greater accomplishment than buns of steel. If God asks at the end of my life; “So Chris, how did you spend your time on earth? What did you contribute to life?” I want to be able to say something more significant than, “Well, I had this really firm butt.” Your value has nothing to do with the firmness or size of body parts. Say it aloud, “I am not my ass! I am not my chest!”

That’s one of the biggest lies we’re told that gets reinforced every single day on thousands of magazine covers. Your value as a human being has absolutely nothing to do with the age, shape, or size of your body! Do not place any value on it. Just use what you’ve got and have fun with it.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR ASSETS
One of the other lies we’ve unconsciously bought in to is that our value comes from how much stuff we own or how much money we have. This is particularly applicable to men. A lot of men have their net-worth confused with their self-worth.

God isn’t looking at the balance sheet to determine your value. Its only interest is in how much life you’re expressing, how much joy you let into your heart and how much love you give to others. The universe has enough of its own assets. It doesn’t need yours and it’s not impressed with whatever portion you’ve managed to accumulate. The truth is: You don’t really own anything, anyway. God does—–you’re just renting!

So your self-value has absolutely nothing to do with how much stuff you rent or how much money you have. You are not your income or your education, or your car or any of the things you’ve spent your money on.

Life is too short to spend it stacking up little pieces of green-paper. You are not here to accumulate wealth. You’re here to enjoy it and use it to live an abundant life! Quality of life is always more important than how much money you have. The greater question is: How much peace do you have? How much freedom?

YOU ARE NOT YOUR EDUCATION
The Universe is not impressed with your diploma or degrees. Perhaps you are. Perhaps they represent some achievement that you feel proud of, and then in consequence use them to boost your self-esteem. There’s certainly nothing wrong with getting a good education. It will be very beneficial in the world. However, from a Cosmic perspective, it really doesn’t matter. In other words, your value to God isn’t determined by your level of education.

The word education comes from the Latin word, “educara,” meaning to “draw out that which is within.” A good education will assist you in drawing out the wisdom that God has already placed inside you. It may ignite your passions and reveal your talents. But they were already within you lying in wait for your awareness.

Wisdom doesn’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with education. There are some highly educated people who lack basic common sense. And there are some poorly educated people who have great wisdom. What level of education did Jesus have? Who taught Mozart to compose? Who taught Leonardo da Vinci to paint? Who taught Albert Einstein to hypothesize? Who taught Oprah to be Oprah?

YOU ARE NOT YOUR LOCATION
God doesn’t care where you live. It doesn’t love Johnson county residents more than Wyandotte county residents or Jackson county residents. It is not more loving to those who live closer to Metcalf than those who live east of Troost. There is no more of God’s Power in Sedona than in New York City. There is no more of God’s Beauty in the Greek Islands than in Kansas.

God is fully present in every location, simultaneously. It is omnipresent. That means the power to change, heal and transform your life is in the NOW moment and the NOW location. Your value to God doesn’t change based on your location. The question is: Does your opinion of yourself differ based on it?

YOU ARE NOT YOUR JOB
God does not care where you work or how big your office may be. God is not impressed with titles and positions. Perhaps you are. Maybe you think you have more value if you’re vice president of a company. Maybe you think you have less value if you’re in an entry level position in a corporation or a housekeeper. Perhaps your self-esteem is linked to your job title. If so, you’re going to have a terrible time if you get laid off. Your self esteem is going to crash!

The sad fact is; each of us receives a mountain of misinformation and negative self-images from our society every day. And they continue to be reinforced by a culture that objectifies women, emasculates men and sexualizes children. Every day we’re faced with someone else telling us that we’re not good enough as we are!

So, if you want to be set free from the teeter-totter of rising and lowering self-esteem you have to know the truth about who you are and then remember it in the face of everything and every one who wants to challenge it.

It is a huge challenge to be in this world but to also know that your good doesn’t come from anything that happens here. Even the best of us still lose our way sometimes. Somewhere along the line, most of us go through a period of self-doubt—-where we question our worth. We start thinking; “Maybe their right. Maybe I’m not good enough…” And that’s when we need to revisit the truth that our value is not determined by external factors.

He tried to make his way in the world like everyone else, but kept failing. He’d get a decent job, but could never keep it. He’d make good money for awhile, but then would find some reason to quit. Mario spent most of the last twenty years wandering from job to job and town to town.

And the older he got, the more successful his friends became, which started to be a real source of frustration for him. He watched them buy real-estate and accrue assets while he was still working as a waiter, living in a rented apartment at forty years old.

And yet all of Mario’s friends knew he wasn’t made for the corporate or business world. His perspective on things was always completely “out of the box!” He excelled in any area that involved creativity. What my friend Mario didn’t know is: God designed him to be an artist, a poet, an esthete; one of those people who lives outside the box of conventional society, whose perspective is priceless to all of us trapped inside of it.

But he kept fighting his own nature; trying to make himself conform to be more like “regular” people. Mario spent most of his life struggling with bouts of depression, questions of value and issues of self-worth. He kept trying to integrate himself into “regular” society.

A few months ago I ran into him in Miami. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time so we were catching up on what had transpired in our lives over the last few years. I was telling him about my own success and how well things were going in my life. I told him about my first book, Your Soul’s Assignment.

As I was talking, I could see the look of frustration building in his eyes. He had no career success story of his own to share that he felt would compare to mine. Sensing his irritation, I said to him:
“When are you going to accept yourself for who you are? Stop looking at other people and feeling inadequate because you’re not like them. You’re not like other people. You’re never going to be ‘normal.’ Start defining your value by what you create, by who you are, not by how much stuff you own, or how much money is in your 401k.”

After our conversation, he emailed me and said: “In that one conversation, you cleared up issues I’ve struggled with my whole life!” And all I really did is give him permission to be what God created him to be.

Every artist I’ve ever known has gone through times when they seriously doubted their worth; times when they felt either completely lost or totally inadequate. Every highly creative person I’ve known has struggled and fought to stay afloat emotionally at some point in their lives. And maybe that’s the other side of creativity, like the other side of a coin. Perhaps you can’t have one without the other. Maybe the passion necessary to create and fill your soul with those ecstatic creative moments is the same passion that can bring you down lower than most people ever go.

We want to separate out the good and take only the characteristics that we’re proud of; the ones we want to show everyone—and then leave the rest behind. But life just doesn’t work that way. We can’t divide ourselves up into little parts. We have to accept the whole package.