There are two types of worth: relative and absolute. Relative worth is the conventional worth that we associate with achievement, success, appreciation, status. Its perceived value increases when certain criteria are fulfilled and it decreases if we fail, struggle or stagnate. Absolute worth is independent from anything that’s external and internal to us. It doesn’t depend on our profession, the size of our bank account, or how much people look up to us. It’s also not contingent on our qualities and characteristics—on how smart, articulate, intellectual or skilful we are.
Absolute worth is in the essence of who we are. It’s about what we’re of rather than who we are. It’s beyond anything we can create and rather about what we represent. Absolute worth is inherent in all of us and its value never changes throughout our life, regardless of circumstances.
When we assess our own worth and that of others, we mainly think of relative worth. Most of us are not taught to consider and recognise that we are inherently worthy in ways that have nothing to do with our achievements, qualities or success. And yet, absolute worth is real worth. And the more we recognise this within ourselves, the more we connect with our true nature.
We connect with our absolute worth when we transcend our individuality, see through the illusion of separation from life and recognise that we are an extension of life, a fragment of the collective. In the absence of our vanity, we can surrender to the collective and the oneness of life. Absolute worth, which is real worth, is both within and without.