Diversify your self-worth

In this episode, I talk about diversifying your self worth. One’s perceived self value should extend beyond one’s job and family commitments, because these are areas that are not fully within one’s control. One should try hard to get good at something completely unrelated to these domains; something that you have full and complete control over. That way no one can ever take that away from you. A job can easily be taken away due to market forces and many other things. Family commitments are inherently dependent upon other people. I have seen many people whose value lays in these things only become bitter or depressed in later life because things didn’t turn out the way they wanted them to. This fate can be avoided by pouring a fraction of one’s energy into an endeavor like exercise, yoga, meditation, or something else that depends entirely on one’s own effort. As you continually engage this solo effort, you will begin to improve. As your skill level increases, you will gain a level of self respect and self worth that no one can take away from you, and that confidence will radiate into other areas of your life.

If one has built this bedrock of diversified self worth, it won’t sting so much when one loses a job. In fact, these extra skills may actually help one get another job more quickly. One example is if one started “upskilling” in one’s free time and learning how to code, one could potentially find a job in the tech sector.