‘I heard myself saying, ‘I’m just a wife,’ ‘I’m just a mom.’ Why do I diminish myself?’: Mom reflects on the importance of self-worth

“Let’s talk.

I caught myself using an adverb.

‘I’m just a wife.’ ‘I’m just a mom.’ ‘I’m just a volunteer.’ ‘I’m just a small blogger.’

‘Just’ means merely.

If I were merely a wife and nothing more, I’d still be thankful for my husband.

If I were merely a mother, what a precious life-giving, life-altering gift it would be.

If my efforts to make this world a bit better were all I had to fill my time, it would be time well spent.

If my words reached one person who needed them, then I’d have fulfilled my purpose.

So, why do I diminish myself? Perhaps I feel unworthy of these roles. Perhaps I wish to do them all better. Perhaps a bit of both.

I heard the ‘just’ cross my lips and wondered these things. Maybe you’ve sold yourself short too. Including unnecessary adjectives and adverbs to describe yourself.

Let’s knock it off.

Life’s hard enough without us being hard on ourselves.

You are the child of a King. That in itself makes you worthy. You are wonderfully made. That makes you special. Right from the get-go, you’re amazing. Silence the little voice dimming your light with disclaimers.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Michelle Koch from Minneapolis, MN. Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook. Submit your story here, and be sure to subscribe to our best love stories here.

Read more from Michelle: 

‘Just because someone’s calendar and bank account are fuller than my own does not mean their life is fuller.’: Mom reflects on true meaning of success

‘We were having a good day as a family and I foolishly thought I could document it.’: Mom to teen son says ‘I’m learning to smile and take the picture anyway’

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