This meditation will focus on cultivating a deep sense of self-worth that goes beyond external achievements or what other people may think of you.
Self-worth is an inner resource that may be hiding or is obscured by all the demands in life and from old stories of judgment or your noisy inner critics.
Yet,
Like a hidden gem,
This resource of self-worth is waiting to reveal itself.
You might even consider the words inner worth instead to reflect the depths of your true nature.
Inner worth is a basic sense of being okay and helps you treat yourself with respect and care,
Allowing for curiosity,
Clarity,
And confidence about who you are and your purpose in life.
Inner worth holds all your imperfections with gratitude for your uniqueness.
For this meditation,
You may invite the perfectionist part of you to simply sit quietly and pay attention without it judging you or judging the following guiding words.
Let's begin.
Sit,
Lie down,
Or lean gently against a wall for support.
Close your eyes if you like.
Whatever your bodily position,
Imagine yourself with a sense of dignity and eminence,
With a strong back,
Soft shoulders,
And an open heart.
Settle in.
Take three deep breaths,
Breathing in slowly and gently,
And exhaling slowly and gently.
If a focus on breathing feels uncomfortable,
Simply direct your attention to where you feel supported.
You may even venture to place your hands over your heart,
Inclining yourself to tenderness.
You can also sense your body or feet rooted to the ground below you,
With your head and shoulders alert yet at ease,
Allowing the whole of you to feel a sense of support and kind attention.
Directing your attention to the space around your heart,
In front of your heart,
And around and behind your heart,
Feeling a sense of a warm embrace as you breathe.
If you like,
You may set an intention for yourself.
You can ask yourself,
What do I need to support growing my inner worth?
Listen to your kind,
Wise self for an answer.
If nothing comes to mind readily,
That's okay.
Consider the following offerings.
Deep in my heart,
I allow my inner worth to shine.
Even though I may struggle with self-doubt,
I am open to accepting who I am right now.
I can strive for excellence without tension and urgency by deeply caring for all of me.
Whenever you notice your mind wandering,
Or a judgy voice appears,
Redirect your attention to your affirmation,
Your breath,
Your heart,
Or grounding yourself in your space and to the present moment.
As you continue to feel into a sense of dignity and presence,
I invite you to reflect on what qualities or aspects of yourself that you appreciate,
That you truly value when you give yourself the space to befriend yourself.
Name for yourself the qualities and values you hold dear that go beyond external achievements,
Hard skills,
Or comparisons.
Consider the qualities of resilience,
Kindness,
Humor,
Passion,
The softer skills in life that encourage greater connection to your true nature.
Or consider what people close to you might say if you ask them about the strengths or positive qualities they see in you.
What might they say?
Noticing what you might call your imperfections with an attitude of lightheartedness,
With kind amusement,
And grace.
Observe what arises with kindfulness.
If your perfectionist part gets reactive,
Or you feel tension,
That's okay.
Simply validate the discomfort and redirect your attention to your breath or ground yourself.
You are cultivating a judgment-free inner zone of attention.
This doesn't mean replacing any discomfort,
Tension,
Or judgment with a positive antidote.
It's giving yourself permission to be present.
Simply notice any thoughts that arise about your self-worth,
And observe them without getting hooked by them.
With kind attention,
You are making more space to shine a light on the hidden treasures of inner worth.
For the next few minutes,
I invite you to gather your reflections about your inner worth,
And create an affirmation you can live into.
Think of the images or words that arose when reflecting on your qualities and values.
Use an I statement.
It doesn't have to be perfect,
But something you can adopt without aversion or judgment,
And instead with a sense of honor and appreciation.
Perhaps it is a statement that you can grow into.
Listen to the following examples.
I am proud of who I am.
I accept my imperfections with humor and grace.
I am my own best friend.
I deserve to love and respect myself.
I deeply appreciate myself.
I can strive for excellence and still allow myself to relax and experience joy.
I appreciate my perfectionist part for trying to motivate me,
And now allow that part to rest,
Play,
And have some fun.
My failures are my learnings,
And I trust and have faith in myself.
Clearing out any thoughts,
Feelings,
Sensations.
If you wish,
You may breathe into an affirmation you landed on.
If nothing comes to mind readily,
That's okay.
We are encouraging a conscious connection between your breath,
Your nervous system,
And acknowledging your inherent value.
Follow along in your own mind.
Deep in my heart,
I shine a light on my inner self-worth.
I breathe in appreciation for who I am,
And I breathe out any doubts.
I am willing to see setbacks and mistakes as a chance to grow and learn.
I breathe in grace for who I am right now,
And breathe out the insecurities I may still have.
I breathe in joy for who I want to become,
And I breathe out the old stories that no longer serve me.
As we come to the end of this cultivating self-worth meditation,
May you carry the recognition of your inherent value as you navigate the rest of your day.
May you be kind to yourself,
And may you continue to tend to the inner resources just waiting to shine forth.
