This poem is inspired by my blog post ‘Rediscovering Your Value: A Journey to Building a Foundation of Self-Worth’. You can find the full post here:
You were born enough—
long before the world taught you otherwise,
long before comparison dimmed your light
or someone else’s voice grew louder than your own.
But somewhere along the way
you learned to measure yourself
in likes, in effort, in achievement,
in the shaky mirror of other people’s eyes.
And slowly, quietly, painfully—
you forgot the truth of who you are.
Self-doubt crept in like a shadow,
whispering, Be more. Do more. Earn it.
You began to believe worth was something built,
not something breathed into you at birth.
You began to believe love had conditions
and value had rules.
But listen—
self-worth was never meant to be hunted.
It was meant to be remembered.
You are not the voice that scolds you.
You are not your failures,
nor the ones you fear.
You are not the moments you broke
or the expectations you could not meet.
Your worth lives deeper than that—
beneath the noise,
beneath the scars,
beneath every moment you thought
you weren’t enough.
It reveals itself
in the boundaries you set
when you finally whisper,
My needs matter too.
It grows
in the softness you offer yourself
when you say,
It’s okay. I tried.
It strengthens
in the courage it takes
to stop comparing your journey
to someone else’s highlight reel.
It deepens
each time you honor your strengths,
recognize your gifts,
and walk away from places
that require you to shrink.
It unfolds
in the small steps—
the quiet ones no one sees.
And one day,
without applause,
without witness,
you realize:
Your worth was never lost.
You were simply searching everywhere
but within.
So return to yourself.
Return to the heart you keep overlooking.
Return to the truth waiting beneath your doubt:
You are worthy—
not because of what you do,
but because you are here.
Because you exist.
Because your life carries a brilliance
that asks for no permission at all.
Stand in that.
Grow from that.
Live from that.
And let the world meet you
as someone who finally remembers
their own inherent light.
Stay Connected! Join Our Many Subscribers!
Body of Brilliance 