Dignity
“the quality of being worthy of honor and respect”
This is another of those words where it may be easier to see how others are worthy of honor and respect but not so much for ourselves. The fascinating thing is that in order for others to honor and respect us we must find ourselves worthy of receiving honor and respect.
If we treat ourselves like crap, belittle ourselves, or hide ourselves away, how on earth can we expect others to treat us with any form of dignity. What needs to change is how we see ourselves.
Long ago a wise man, who was helping me through my worthiness issues, once said to me (I’m paraphrasing):
As a spiritual being, you are already perfect and Divine…already worthy of honor and respect. As a human being, you are imperfect, we all are…yet also worthy of honor and respect. So forget about striving for perfection, you’re already there on the spiritual level…instead, as a human, strive for excellence…strive to continually improve upon yourself…while honoring and respecting yourself in the process.
If we were to be given only one assignment on cracking the “worthiness” code, it would be to pay attention to our self talk…especially the negative stuff. Make note of it. Challenge it. Reframe it into a positive statement, which can now become our new mantra.
Just for the heck of it I went to ChatGPT to ask it for examples of reframing negative self-talk into positive ones. Here’s what it shared:
Negative Self-Talk: “I always mess things up.”
Positive Affirmation: “I learn and grow from my experiences.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m not good enough.”
Positive Affirmation: “I am enough just as I am, and I am continually improving.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’ll never succeed.”
Positive Affirmation: “I am capable of achieving my goals with effort and perseverance.”
Negative Self-Talk: “Nobody likes me.”
Positive Affirmation: “I am a valuable person with qualities that people appreciate.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m a failure.”
Positive Affirmation: “I have the strength to overcome challenges and succeed.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I can’t do anything right.”
Positive Affirmation: “I am capable and competent in many areas of my life.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m not worthy of love.”
Positive Affirmation: “I deserve love and respect from myself and others.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m too weak to handle this.”
Positive Affirmation: “I have the inner strength to face and overcome difficulties.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m a burden to others.”
Positive Affirmation: “I contribute positively to the lives of others.”
Negative Self-Talk: “I’m not smart enough.”
Positive Affirmation: “I have a unique perspective and valuable insights.”
How about you? Is dignity a core value for you?
BTW…here’s what it looked like to begin with …
joyfully,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
encouraging and inspiring curiosity, creativity, and play through the art of mandalas
About the 2024 Mandalas of the Day
Each day I will create and post a mandala inspired by one of 366 “value” words chosen randomly. The objective being to discover for myself which ones would best represent my core values…and by doing so, I hope it inspires you to determine your own.
Mandala of the Day 