Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

One thing I wish I would’ve learned earlier on is life is that an individual’s self worth is not determined by those around them. I, like many of us, spent my teenage years obsessing over how I would be perceived by my peers and people I considered to be cool and/or popular. I placed my worth in their hands and let them be the judges, which is something I didn’t even realize I was doing at the time.

That is why when I was bullied as a teen, it took a big toll on my mental health. I couldn’t stand the thought of people seeing no worth or value in me as a person because at the time, I valued the perception of others much more than how I viewed myself. It was a hard lesson to eventually learn, but I’m certainly glad for it.

As an adult, I am able to love myself and appreciate the things about myself I didn’t used to value. I now know my worth does not lie in the hands of fellow humans, but rather in the Creator of the universe. If I am precious in His sight, then the world’s opinion has no impact on me and my life. It’s a very freeing feeling to finally be happy with yourself and give yourself the love you needed all along.

– A.B.