What is the source of your personal value?

Your value – it’s source is –

Tim Connor

Each of us has a self-perception of our own personal value.  Some people use money, wealth and net worth while others use position, power or influence and still others us legacy, fame and reputation or status.  But there are also many who measure or value themselves based on service, humility, generosity and modesty.  Have you got an opinion which of these are better or more valuable to define you?  Better still – which ones do you use as a self-measurement?  Even better still (I know getting old) how do you think most people who know you reasonably well, would define you?  Could be scary.

As a global speaker in front of over several thousand people every year I have often wondered what categories many or most (not just a small few) people would put me in or use to define me.  Again, could be really scary.

“So, Tim, where are you going with this article – I’ve got other stuff on my plate today”. In a hurry?  Maybe we should add that one to your definition or one of your categories or how about - impatient, hurry-er, never enough time person, workaholic, Type A – I won’t bore you with others as I’ve either lost by now you or you are laughing).

OK to my point – we all have or use certain benchmarks, tools, definitions or values etc. we use to ‘self-value-measure’ ourselves – here are just a few to consider.  Why not ask yourself how you measure yourself or how does this area influence your life – could be an interesting exercise! PS: I’m not going into a lot of detail on these – they are just meant to be emotional or mental triggers to get you thinking or self-evaluating.

Here’s just a brief summary of a few of the more common ones;

-Who you are – Your birth date, where you grew up, education history, how you were raised, siblings, how you were treated as a child - etc.

-What you have accomplished – Education, degrees, inventions, businesses started, competitions, climbed mount Everest or done nothing significant – etc.

-Memberships – clubs, organizations, civic clubs, community organizations, school clubs or belong to nothing - etc.

-Your spiritual outlook – a Christian, agnostic, atheist, believer, Jewish, some other values, not sure – etc.

-Accolades or special awards – professional designations, special community awards or recognitions, retirement awards, military designations, political, special degrees or none – etc.

-Where you live – what state, city, special development, private lot, condo in resort city, farm or country – etc.

-What you own – size of your home, how many homes, how many cars, special toys (boats, planes, RVs) jewelry, wardrobe – etc.

-What you drive – vintage car, expensive car, piece of crap – etc.

-What you know – education, degrees, special courses, books you have read, special designations or awards, the size of your library – etc.

-Charities you have helped – or not helped, this one is obvious.

-What makes you happy or content – people, activities, sports, entertainment, family, travel, success, life in general or nothing – etc.

-How you have succeeded – could be financial, position, professional, age when you did it, a combination of accomplishments or accomplished little of value – etc.

-What you do – career, home body, mother, teacher, retired, volunteer, CEO, world traveler or couch and TV potato – etc.

-Where you are going – your future career, your next vacation, your next relationship, your next anything or your next nothing – etc.

-Where you have been – past failures, past successes, past mistakes, past anything – etc.

-Who you know – special friends, no friends, neighbors, famous people – etc.

-Who knows you – same as above.

-Your special skills/talents – music, hobbies, wisdom, talents, writing, artwork or you don’t have any – etc.

-Your beliefs/values – what are your standards, benchmarks, expectations, desires, goals, dreams, fantasies, hopes, fears, worries - etc.

-Who you are with – your spouse, your family, your friends, your employees, your customers, your business partners your or you are alone and have no one – etc.

-Who you have helped/guided – mentored, coached, counseled, children, family, friends, employees, customers, students or no one– etc.

-What you are worth – your stuff, your toys, your investments, your experience, your knowledge – etc.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of these lists so let me leave you with two questions – if you finished this article – what mental triggers were created or tugged at as a result of anything you read?  What are you going to do about it and how it impacts your life in 2018 and beyond?