Self Worth

It is all a matter of perspective. People in general try too hard to measure up to others expectations and get caught up in the rat race.

I know a guy who felt he had achieved nothing. I asked him to explain.

"I'm 25 years old. I have no solid career to speak of, I have never been in a relationship for longer than 4 months. I still live with my parents, I have no qualifications to boast about and very little chance or prospect of that changing. Nothing I do really matters. " he said.

I sat stunned for a few moments. He had obviously been thinking about this and it was getting him down. We share the same group of friends and he was best man for one of our mates.

I said to him"hold on, you volunteer with people with special needs helping them get the education they need, you offer your time to foster carers who are having trouble. You gave your sister your job when she was losing hers through redundancies. You are the first person I and our other friends go to for advice or help because you never let us down. You have the skills to make everyone around you comfortable and you always find the time to help anyone, even strangers."

"yeah but anyone can do any of that of they wanted. None of that is anything special" he said.

"you're right" I said " anyone can do any of that. But not a lot of people do. And you don't do any of that. You do ALL of that. And you do it because you genuinely want to. And you never let it get you down or complain about it. And that is special. Just think how many lives would be different if you didn't do those things".

At this point we were interrupted and just let it lie. How can you help someone see their self worth as others see them.

People get wrapped up in trying to live a conventional type of life the same as their peers. It makes me sick that people are suffering from depression because of this. This man is only 25 yet he thinks his life is failing and yet he has barely started. Not only that but he has helped countless others.