Do you feel unworthy, unloved, unimportant or not good enough? Do you remember when you started to feel this way? Most likely, it started some time ago. We may deny, cover up or stuff how we feel. The power comes when we stop and decide to deal with how we feel about ourselves. As a result, life shifts and we become more content with ourselves, which includes our imperfections. We stop looking outside of ourselves for worthiness and acceptance. It truly begins within.

Everyone has something they struggle with inside because we are human beings. It may appear that others have it all together. We don’t know what struggles they might have or what happens behind closed doors. They may be hiding, covering up or in denial about what they are really feeling or it is too scary to share with others.

We often live in fear of really being who we are because we are afraid of getting hurt or may have a fear of abandonment or rejection. We want to have a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Below are a few steps to take to begin stepping into your worth and taking charge of how you see yourself.

1. Make working on you a priority. Working on stepping into your worthiness and value has to come from your desire to want to do the self-work, which includes working on the mind, body and spirit. The desire has to come from within. We can’t change others and they can’t change us.

2. Don’t give up. This isn’t an easy process. It is hard work yet it’s the most powerful and transformational work you will do. It is rewarding and life changing. Build a healthy and safe support team.

3. Stop beating yourself up. It begins by working on changing your thoughts. Ask yourself, “Is this helping me to feel better?” We tend to be our own worst critics.

4. Give yourself grace. It’s important we reflect on our patterns and choices, learn the lesson and then let it go. It doesn’t help to have it play as a tape over and over. This just keeps us from growing and moving forward.

5. Feed your spirit. It’s important you take time daily to work on feeding your spirit. Read an inspirational or motivational book or write out your favorite quotes or sayings on notecards and keep them with you as reminders that you are enough and worth it.