The beginning of the journey toward self-acceptance requires active participation in your own life and support from those close to you.

Nurturing Self-Worth Through Love and Action

The beginning of the journey toward self-acceptance requires active participation in your own life and support from those close to you. Accepting yourself helps you build confidence, and its development starts with small yet significant steps: surround yourself with people who show care and love, because their belief in you can awaken the best qualities hidden within each of us. It is important not merely to expect recognition from the outside, but to actively embrace ideas of care and support – perform acts of kindness, learn to set aside your selfishness, and find joy in giving, since this process fills life with brightness and meaning. Remembering how important warm relationships in childhood were in forming the foundation of your self-esteem, you can consciously bring back that sense of true value by recognizing your strengths. By reinforcing these practices, you gradually fill yourself with confidence and learn to love yourself, creating the basis for a full and rich life.

What steps can you take to begin valuing yourself?

To start valuing yourself, you can undertake several concrete steps, as the quoted sources demonstrate.

First, the people around you can play an important role in awakening your sense of self-worth. One source notes that when people care for you, pay attention, and confirm your significance, it helps reveal those positive qualities inherent in every person: “…in her, the beautiful quality that exists in every human being was revealed, and it emerges only when we believe in ourselves and everyone around us believes in us – loves us. Many think that confidence and insecurity are innate, unchangeable traits. But this is not so…” (source: link txt).

Second, it is useful to start actively showing love and care not only to others but also to yourself. One text advises you to remind yourself of your value, to urge yourself to act in ways that reflect nobility, and to abandon selfish habits. This leads to experiencing the joy and pleasure of giving, which in turn helps you feel your own significance: “…you have to prod yourself toward love, force yourself to perform acts that noble people commit... and if we do so, then gradually we will develop a taste for it and experience joy: it turns out that giving is far more blissful than taking.” (source: link txt).

Furthermore, it is important not to forget the support of your loved ones – to mentally turn to those who love you and believe in you. This attention helps overcome doubts about your own worth, as the faith others place in you can be a catalyst for developing inner confidence: “…we can then turn our thoughts to those who love us and to those who believe in us…” (source: link txt).

Finally, remember that the foundation of self-esteem is established early in life. If you felt acceptance and care during your early years, it creates an inner conviction of your own value. Even if those conditions have changed, you can consciously strive to restore your sense of self-worth by acknowledging your strengths just as your loved ones once did: “…if they understand and accept him, tolerate his 'flaws' and mistakes, he grows up with a positive attitude toward himself.” (source: link txt).

Thus, to begin valuing yourself, it is recommended to:
• Strive to surround yourself with people who express love and support.
• Practice acts based on kindness and consideration toward others, which ultimately help you experience the joy of self-sufficient giving.
• Reflect on those who love you and believe in you to overcome self-doubt.
• Recall how your self-esteem was formed during childhood and work on restoring it with an emphasis on your positive qualities.

These steps will gradually build confidence and self-love, which are keys to a fulfilling life.

Supporting citation(s):
"One beautiful day, everyone began to court a girl, vying for her attention, accompanying her home, and assuring her that she was beautiful and smart. And what happened? It wasn’t long before this girl truly became attractive, sweet, carried herself differently, and responded more intelligently – reborn. She did not become someone else; the beautiful quality that exists in every human being was revealed in her, and it emerges only when we believe in ourselves and everyone around us believes in us – loves us. Many think that confidence and insecurity are innate, unchangeable traits. But this is not so; nature has nothing to do with it. Those who were deeply loved in childhood formed the notion in their minds that they were deserving of love – that is, kind and smart. They strive to adhere to this image in all their behavior." (source: link txt)

"Look around! Here stand your loved ones, and each one deserves to receive love, whether or not you have any to give. You must prod yourself toward love, force yourself to perform acts that noble, saintly people undertake, who embody love. And for that you must continually dismantle your selfishness. And if we do so, then gradually we will develop a taste for it and experience joy: it turns out, giving is far more blissful than taking. When a person snatches something for himself, he rejoices. But once he obtains that coveted, desired thing, after a month the joy fades. So we wait, prepare carefully, set the table, and pour out the drinks." (source: link txt)

"We do not always trust what God believes in us; therefore, we are not always able to believe in ourselves. Again, not the superficial self-confidence that we possess, but a deep conviction that we are sacred to God and are objects of His love. But we can then turn our thoughts to those who love us and believe in us. I do not think that among us there is anyone in whom not at least one person would have ever believed, who would be completely rejected as a being without substance, without meaning – and therefore not only without a future but even without a present. That is what repentance is – the gradual transformation of one's entire way of life into a Christian order, a Christian arrangement." (source: link txt)

"Perhaps the most apt phrase was coined by V. Satir. She called this complex and hard-to-articulate feeling the sense of self-worth. Scientists have discovered and proven several important facts. First, they found that self-esteem (we will use this more familiar term) strongly affects a person's life and even their destiny. For example, children with low self-esteem, although fully capable, learn poorly, do not get along with peers and teachers, and are less successful later in life. Another important fact: the foundation of self-esteem is laid very early, in the first years of a child's life, and depends on how the parents treat him. If they understand and accept him, tolerate his ‘flaws’ and mistakes, he grows up with a positive attitude toward himself." (source: link txt)