If given the chance, would you rather be given a million dollars or would you rather earn a million dollars?

Several months ago, I was listening to a local radio station and the two DJ’s were discussing a survey that asked people that question. The overwhelming majority of people said that they would rather be given a million dollars than earn a million dollars.

I think that is a sad state of mind. Every day, for most of us, our self-esteem or feeling of self-worth is under assault. We think we’re: too fat, too skinny, not fast enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, not gifted enough, the list goes on and on. 

True accomplishments

The only thing that saves us from the onslaught of self-doubt is our list of accomplishments in life. I don’t want to get side-tracked on what we define as accomplishments because I can assure you that “true” accomplishments vary quite drastically from “societal approved” accomplishments.

Personally, I think it’s important to keep in mind all the little things we do in life, and maybe, just maybe, they aren’t as little as we may think. Your success in life – I define success as living a happy purposeful life – depends in large part on how we feel about ourselves. [Note: this is dependent upon how we feel about ourselves and not how we perceive others feel about us.]

Therefore, it is often the small victories that we achieve in life that help us suppress these negative waves of “I’m not good enough.”

We often hear and say how much better we feel when we lose 10 pounds, or how much better we feel once we get back in shape … or how much better we feel because we have a clean house. Yes, it is true that these things can make us feel better physically, but I think that the true “feeling better” stems from the victory we scored by forcing ourselves to accomplish these feats. 

Never underestimate the power of feeling good about yourself! 

Remember, you are your greatest asset. Now go earn that million dollars! – if that’s really important to you. If not, quit wishing someone would give it to you! And that’s worth a lot. 

Soulful Quote:  “Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire with ourselves” – Nathaniel Branden 

[Note the word acquire (the small victories) and not give.]

Song: “Greatest Love of All,” by Whitney Houston

Game Exercise/Life Changer: Answer the question for yourself and check your Self Reliance gauge!