5 Things That Do Not Define You
Everyone questions their self-worth from time to time. During difficult times like these, we look for anything that may help increase our self-esteem. However, we need to be careful where we look for this help. It is very important to realise that some of these things are superficial and do not define us.
Your grades
Your grades do not define you. It is easy to feel that you are not smart unless you are getting straight A’s. However, this is not the case. Grades do not measure your intelligence. They simply test how well you remember the academic material of a very particular part of a subject on a given day.
Grades reflect how well you have memorised the information. Maybe academia is not your thing and that is okay. It just means that you have a different type of intelligence. Do not fall into the trap of relying on test scores to make you feel bright.
The amount of likes you receive
Sometimes after we post a picture on Instagram, we sit and wait for the comments and likes to roll in. Unless we reach a certain amount, we can start to worry about our appearance in the photo.
We tend to measure our self-worth based on how much response we get from our followers. This is very unhealthy. Most likely it has nothing to do with what you look like and everything to do with the algorithm. Always post because you feel like a boss in a certain photo and never to impress anyone else.
Your mistakes
Your mistakes do not define you. Mistakes are part of being human. Allow yourself to learn from past failures and grow from them. As Jennifer Lim once said, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying”.
Do not beat yourself when things go wrong on the first try. Instead look at how you can improve for the next attempt. Often, we can avoid doing certain things because the last time we tried it, it did not go well and we fear failure. This mindset will hold you back. Countless opportunities will pass you by if you let this attitude take over.
What others think of you
Not everyone is going to like you. That is a fact and the sooner you accept that the better.
What others think of you does not determine your self-worth. After all, they do not know the whole story of your life, so who are they to judge? Measuring your value based on what others think of you will only make you miserable.
The only opinion you should deeply care about is your own. Do not let the beliefs of others or even your perception of their beliefs control how you feel about yourself.
Your past
Your past certainly does not define you. Where you grew up, your story and how you spent it does dictate your value. Names that people called you or labels that society gave you should not have the power to control who you are today. You have grown from past experiences certainly but under no circumstances do these events determine your self-worth.
As famously stated by Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”