"The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself." – Maya Angelou.

If I could read your thoughts, what would they tell me? Are you speaking positive affirmations, or are you tearing yourself down?

When they look in the mirror, I recently heard that the percentage of women do not like themselves. It was in the high nineties. I found that interesting and sad at the same time. How can we become comfortable in our skin? I think this truly takes self-examination.

We go in the direction of our most prominent thoughts. How we think about ourselves will lead to contentment, improvement, or self-destructive behavior. When I reflect on my life, I can see exactly where my thoughts were. Through many years of being overweight, I heard many words spoken over my life. There were many hurtful words. Truth be told, they still sting a bit, but I can't let my thoughts camp there. These words became my reality, and I felt I needed to prove that I was better than they were saying. My life for years was my eating disorders, excessive exercise, and constantly needing praise. It wasn't long, and I self-destructed.

At this lowest point in my life is where I felt like I was not worth it. How could I get back up, dust myself off, and carry on? I got the point of learning how to forgive myself and re-learn how to rebuild my confidence. I know I was created for more, but what could it possibly be? When we go through storms in life, we can see that a storm always ends. Who are we when the winds calm? What have we learned through these difficult life experiences? And, who will we help through their storms?

Everyone has a story, and we need each other for encouragement. We all need a cheerleader to help us in many areas of life. We all have worth, and we need to believe this. We all have gifts and a calling in our lives. These experiences will help us help others to know that they matter. No matter how far we may have fallen, we can back up again. We are all called to something greater than us. I believe it is to help others through the same pain we have experienced.

If you are struggling in life and need to know your worth, reach out. Find a trusted friend, mentor, or a coach. You are worth it!