Self-Worth

I have had a few discussions with friends & family about self-worth lately.  I am amazed/saddened because there are so many of us who are suffering from this & alone for that matter.  I will be the first to admit that there are times when I get discouraged & depressed about my situation in life.  Come on, I'm 31 1/2 & still single.  Pretty much in the LDS world I'm ancient.  Then there is the medical world, yeah 3 1/2 years from now when, or more like if, I have kids I will be considered to have a high risk pregnancy.  So, it's just not in the social world, but also the medical world, that I'm OLD!!!  Oh & if you read my last blog Am I old or am I young? then you'll know all about my first SA outing.  Although, I am still sticking to the fact that I was the hottest girl there.  Hello, have you checked out my profile picture?  Thanks Shan (there's your shout out).

So, here's my thoughts on why we're so hard on ourselves.  

1. Have you looked at all the media lately?  Is there one woman out there who has a BMI over 18?  Really now.  You know it makes it a little daunting to get up some mornings & think, "Dang girl, you look good."  Granted there are some days that I just don't care; which has happened a lot lately because school is all consuming.  I went to an Enrichment dinner/program the other day titled "Being Enough?...You are enough" & the speaker brought up an interesting fact...We are not hear for a competition, but to complete our missions here on earth.  But that doesn't mean I should let myself go, I still need to look good to feel good about myself.  I need those "Dang girl, you look good" days every now & then.
   
2. Satan hates women...We love, he hates.  We create, he destroys. (That's also from that same Enrichment)  For those of us who are single, I think he really works on us in this area.  He wants us to think that we aren't worthy to be loved, & being single is ok.  Which being single is ok to a certain extent, but we shouldn't be too compliant about it.  What it really comes down to is being happy with who we are & the situation we are in.  We can either feel self-pity or continue to improve ourselves for that day when we will be wives & mothers.  And it shouldn't stop with marriage; it needs to continue throughout our entire lives.
3. Satan will continue to work on us, & make us believe that we can't do certain things or we aren't worthy to receive certain blessings.  At that SA fireside, the speaker told a story of how she accepted a calling, & after she started to doubt that she could fulfill it.  She said it was as if Satan knocked on her door, & she let him.  She realized that if she put her trust in the Lord & didn't answer to Satan's knocks, then she could make it through anything.
4. We get discouraged when things aren't going exactly to our plans or timing.  I have to say I'm extremely guilty of this one.  I'm very selfish with my time & like things to happen when I want them to happen.  I'm just a little impatient, & I have to realize that there are other people & their schedules who are involved along with the Lord's timing.

What I'm trying to say is that if we put our trust in the Lord we can make it through anything.  It has taken me 31 1/2 years to realize this, but I firmly believe it.  I'm constantly praying for strength to not open the door to Satan & reassurance, & it really does help.