Worth and Value – Michelle Sparkes

Have you ever found yourself on a backroad by mistake or design? It’s a great opportunity to discover things you would otherwise miss. When we come away from mainstream messages about our worth and value, we have the opportunity to explore and discover (or recover) those things that are unique and special to us. When we’re not caught up in the slipstream, we can take time to notice what makes our heart sing, what interests us, what we value, what makes us curious, what gives us pleasure. It’s a simple message with profound impact. Beyond questioning dominant media and cultural messages and limiting unhelpful exposure to these, stepping out of our routine to find what we uniquely value and enjoy, provides a very sound platform for building a solid sense of personal worth and value.

Feedback and questions welcome.

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@mp_sparkes

Are you believing a lie about your worth and value? As you journey out of your eating disorder (or any life consuming/life controlling problem) you will “hit” some of the deeper (painful) self experience that sits below the surface of your (disordered eating) behaviours. This is a difficult but necessary part of recovery. At such times, it will be incredibly helpful if you can “be” where you’re at in the presence of someone who genuinely cares for you. This may be a therapist or counsellor. It may be a parent or friend. One of the safest and most profoundly healing relationships I discovered in my recovery journey was with the God I did not know as a young person. A God who I discovered loved me unconditionally and wove me together in my mother’s womb with immeasurable worth and value. It’s one thing to speak about this; quite another to experience it which is why in this podcast, I invite you to step into the experience of this Love. No strings attached.  You can take it or leave it.  I know that lives hang in the balance this very moment because individuals do not their worth and value or may believe there is no hope for them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This audio is stripped from the video teaching I do on this subject in the 4×4 Freedom Express. You can access the video here.

As always, I welcome your questions and feedback.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

To know our worth and value at a deep level sets us up to do life in ways that are health-promoting and life-affirming. In this podcast I explore how our self concept develops using the analogy of building a house. We all have different experiences growing up and some people appear to have better “foundations” than others, but the storms of life hit us all at various times, and when they do, we have an opportunity to see what we’re basing our worth upon and to sink our roots deeper into eternal truths that don’t change. This audio is stripped from the video teaching I do on this subject in the 4×4 Freedom Express. You can access the video here.

Questions and feedback welcome.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

Self Esteem Vs Self Worth. Are they different? How are they different? And what difference does that make? I believe they are different and that the difference is significant to our mental health and well being. Here’s why…

Self esteem refers to how we esteem (or value) ourselves and is made up of all our beliefs about who we are, what we can be and what we can do in the future.  Our experience of life shapes our self esteem (or self-valuing) which in turn, shapes our experience of life…for good or for ill. Self worth is more intrinsic and stable. It’s a reflection of who we are by design, unique, and I believe loved. Not only can we develop a healthy self worth, we can anchor it into a solid base of love and chosen-ness, that doesn’t change despite our shifting circumstances, experiences and beliefs.

As promised in the podcast, here is a link to the video teaching I do on this subject in the 4×4 Freedom Express. You can access the video here.

Feedback and Questions welcome.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

Where we sit today (inside our skin; at home in our bodies) will be a reflection of our experiences – how we have internalised and processed our experiences and how these have shaped our beliefs, attitudes and behaviours – towards our body, our self, other people, our world. As we continue to act on, and in, our world we will have new experiences, which will confirm, challenge or shift our existing beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. And so we cycle. Moving forward into more health-promoting, life-affirming beliefs, attitudes and behaviours or backwards into less helpful, less healthy beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. But experience isn’t the last word, and our beliefs can change so how do we anchor our worth and value in a solid base? Here are some thoughts.

Questions and feedback welcome.

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@mp_sparkes

Louise, a podcast listener wrote in to say, “Thank you to this podcast for illustrating that people with eating disorders are still human and deserve to be treated kindly, still – thank you.”  To be honest I was kinda shocked. To me it is so obvious that eating disorders are one of many ways we human beings struggle with our emotional, inner world “stuff” that I get shocked to think that some people STILL don’t get this. The bigger problem is, as Louise infers, that this lack of understanding leads to attitudes and behaviours that compound rather than relieve the very problem they’re trying to solve. To Louise and every other person listening, you are worthy and deserving of love and kindness.

Questions and feedback welcome.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

I believe there are a handful of key truths that (experienced) will take us forward into LIFE, and that are essential to the health and well-BEing of every person.  These truths relate to our core needs to know we have worth and value, that we are loved and lovable, and that we can experience security in the face of uncertainty.  You may see things differently to me and I welcome that. You don’t need to agree with me to benefit from my teaching. I invite your questions and welcome the opportunity to dialogue further.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

It’s Christmas Eve and I’m mindful that this can be a challenging time for people depending on where they sit in their relationships with family and friends.  Regardless of your circumstances or emotions right now, here’s a truth that can bring such peace and nurture to your soul. You are chosen, choice and cherished. Feedback and questions welcome.

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes

How do you re-establish your sense of worth and value when you don’t believe you deserve (or are entitled) to these things? The eating disorder lie that says you are not good enough/not worthy/don’t deserve to take up space, can shame, isolate, bind and blind a person to the point where it becomes very difficult for that person to take in physical or emotional nurture. This is the very nature of an eating disorder. Here are some strategies to help you break through that lie so you can believe and receive (again) the truth that you are worthy and deserving of life and nurture.  If you need help to get FREE from your ED it would be my pleasure to assist you.

Questions and feedback welcome

[email protected]

@mp_sparkes