Know your value

How many of us really know our value? What do you believe you are worth? Too often we define our worth through material objects or by what others think of us, but do you realize your value? In recent months, I have invested considerable time thinking about these questions and would like to share my reflections.

As we navigate life, we are faced with challenges at home, work, or school. In each of these contexts, we spend significant energy internalizing the opinions of others—in particular, those we hold in high esteem. A statement such as “I don’t believe you have what it takes to make it in this profession” can send one spiraling into an existential crisis. We’ve all been there. Whether we heard it from our parents, a college professor, or a supervisor, the impact of such words can be discouraging.

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My reflections awakened a memory of a college professor who once told me “I think you have chosen the wrong profession.” I recalled how devastating those words were. Traumatized, I remember taking a long walk to collect my thoughts. As his words descended into my psyche, I recall feeling anger, and I became motivated to prove him wrong. Lamenting my aggravation to another professor, she looked at me with a puzzled gaze and asked, “How can you let one man convince you to entertain the idea you were not called into nursing? I have heard you speak, observed you with others, and you have a special gift.” It felt good to hear those words, but it was a struggle to believe them.

That changed when I began remembering what teachers from elementary school to high school had told me: “You have a gift that you must share with others!” As I thought about what they said, I realized that my teachers and professors had more faith in me than I had in myself. In other words, I did not know my own value. As I progressed in college, I came to the realization that I had, indeed, chosen the right field, and that I had a lot of value to bring to the wonderful profession of nursing. Simply put, I began to know my value.

Experience has taught me that we come to know our value when confronted by challenges that test the fragility of our egos. Our success hinges upon our ability to recognize that the unique gifts bestowed on us cannot be replicated and that each of us, therefore, has a distinct contribution to make to the world. That contribution may be assisting others to heal, listening to those who are in despair, or helping someone navigate a medical emergency. The point is, you do have value. The challenge is to believe it.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services will not be posted.