“Self-worth beats net-worth”

How do you see yourself?

Despite the copious amounts of billboards that line the highway, there aren’t many that truly grab my attention.  When I was driving back to Annapolis from Rehoboth beach the other week there was a very plain billboard with a very important message.  It read, “Self-worth beats net-worth.”

By definition net-worth is the amount by which one’s assets exceeds their liabilities.  Take Donald Trump for example.  In the business world the man has everything excluding good looks.  Earlier this year there was a debate over how he calculates his “supposed net-worth,” which he mentally projects to be in the billions. According to a reporter at the New York Times Mr. Trump exaggerates his net-worth, and in fact is realistically worth far less than his claims. The furious Trump sued, of course. Don’t try to take away a cent from his empire.

An article in New York Magazine published in May 2009 reports that in a deposition to his lawyers in 2007, Mr. Trump’s net-worth is magically created, as he states,

"My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feeling."

Let’s forget about Donald’s true net-worth, the aspect that I want to focus on is that he feels like he’s worth billions of dollars when others are saying it’s not so.  Even if it was calculated to an exact measure and didn’t tally over a billion, I bet Trump would still argue over the matter.  The point is we should all have that confidence.  Despite the reports of your income statement we should all feel like we’re worth billions.

The bottom line is that how you feel about yourself shows no matter what clothes you wear, what job you have, or how much money you make.  Humans have instincts. We can sense and prey upon the weak and respect the head of the herd.  Your level of self-worth radiates to the world.  What do you want to portray? 

When you walk down the street and someone is passing in the other direction.  Do you divert your gaze, look down, and keep a stern look on your face, or do you make eye contact and smile? 

Call it crazy, but I’ve tested this.  I would walk down the street and sincerely smile at everyone passing.  Nine times out of ten the other person smiles back.  You know what?  I bet they smiled at the next person walking by and the trend continued. 

If you feel good about yourself show it the world, walk tall with confidence and share your optimism. You never know, you could brighten someone’s day. 

Confidence Boosters

Exercise: 

We always talk about the physical benefits of exercise, but how about the psychological?  Exercise can uplift your mood and build self-confidence, because exercise is all about little accomplishments.  When you first start doing cardiovascular activity like jogging you may only be able to last 5-7 minutes, but if you stick with it, in time you’ve reached your goal of jogging for 45 minutes consistently.  Every building block between day one and the achieved goal is an accomplishment. 

Healthy Eating: 

Hippocrates had it right a long time ago when he said, “Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food.”  A balanced diet rich in natural sources of vitamins and minerals can increase your energy, improve your physique, skin, the shine in your hair, and may help prevent illness and disease.  When you eat healthy you feel better and it shows.  Don’t rely on energy drinks to force a phony demeanor. Eat well, feel great and I bet the peppiness in your voice becomes a bit more genuine even after the mid-afternoon burn out at work. 

Hobbies:

When you do what you love it automatically brings happiness and a sense of confidence.  Delve deep into a hobby or activity that you are passionate about.  We all need something to look forward to, to help us get out bed in the morning.  Finding your passion in life or at the moment creates a strong sense of self-worth, because we tend to like things that we are good at.  It’s a way to define yourself and meet others with similar interests. How do you view yourself? You are what you present to others- a surfer, tri-athlete, reader, or math wiz.  Be proud of what you enjoy to do and be proud of yourself.

Ignite the Trend

Boost your confidence and share it with others so the trend continues.  Be proud of others, but never forget to be proud of yourself as well.

"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserves your love & affection."  -Buddha