By: Jennifer Hefner
“Self-worth is so vital to your happiness. If you don’t feel good about you, it’s hard to feel good about anything else.” ~Mandy Hale
A few weeks ago, my sister had a breast cancer scare that hopefully was a wakeup call for her to pay attention to her body and take better care of herself. Her husband actually brought up to my mom that my sister had a few abnormal growths on her breast. He insisted my mom convince her to schedule a doctor’s appointment, and of course my mom did just that. My sister’s mammogram and biopsy came back negative, and she was told to keep her follow up appointment the next year. Thankfully she got a good report and was reminded of the importance of preventative care and “tune-ups” we need to stay on a healthy journey.
As we work on our mindset, it is important to remind ourselves that we are important. We are worth taking care of. My sister had put herself on “standby” to focus on work, her ailing husband and taking care of her teenage daughter. She was living on autopilot, just like many of us do in our lives. But sometimes life gives us a wakeup call, a second chance to pay attention to our own needs. Was my sister doing the wrong thing? Not entirely, she was putting the needs of her family first. Just as many of us put the needs of our significant other, children, parents, or friends before our own needs. But we must factor in ourselves into the grand scheme of things.
My mom said it best to my sister that week. If she didn’t start taking care of her herself, she wasn’t going to be able to take care of her husband and daughter. My sister struggles with self-esteem and confidence, which has carried over into many aspects of her life. She struggles to make herself a priority, which is the case for many people. Her motto has always been that if she ignores it, it will go away.
Looking at our mindset when it comes to taking care of ourselves, many people struggle with some of the issues my sister has. Whether it is low self-esteem, a busy work life and schedule, the duties of parenthood, or just plain scared to do to the doctor- we all deserve and are worthy of taking care of ourselves. A lot of times we tell ourselves that we will take care of “us” later, next year, after we finish a season in our lives. We tell ourselves we will find time later. But what if that time expires? What if that season or project at work gets an extension?
Some people just flat-out think they are not worthy of having a certain life. That’s the breaking point for me- this makes me sad for people who have a mindset of not being worthy. We are all worthy of a healthy life. We are all worthy of happiness. We are all worthy of living adventure.
Think about the people or even your pets you spend time with or take care of. Children and young people are sponges. They soak up what they see and hear. If we are not making good choices in life, if we are not working on the mindset that we are worth taking care of, why would we expect them to think any differently? I don’t know about you, but I want to be as healthy as possible so I can continue taking care of my furbabies, husband and children. I am also at a stage in life where I see my mother and in-laws needing more help and care. If I am not taking care of me, I won’t be able to take care of the people around me that I love.
As you continue your health journey, remember- YOU ARE WORTHY! Let’s work on the mindset of self-worth, taking care of you for the journey ahead. I guarantee you all want to be able to enjoy everything life has to offer you. Make your mental and physical health a priority, your loved ones will thank you later. Your self-worth is as important as anyone’s!
~Jennifer Hefner
Assistant Volleyball Coach
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Mindset Coach, Change Your State