written by John Niland

I was at an event last night where everyone seemed to be talking about transition. From one job to another, from country to country, from employment to business-owner, from relationship to being single again… the hot topic at table was change.

Most of the people were very open about their vulnerabilities during these times of transition… and nearly everyone “got” the vital necessity of self-worth during these turbulent times. When you push off from one side of the river, and you have still not arrived at the other side, that’s the time when you really want to be friends with yourself.

Today, however, looking back on that conversation, I wonder if we didn’t miss something. In our keenness to show how adaptable we are, we didn’t really explore stability. Perhaps the real question should have been something like: how can we be more stable? Are we too quick to worship change, when perhaps we might benefit from deepening the roots within? After all, if a plant is constantly transplanted, it’s hard for the roots to deepen and grow.

I wonder how much of our restlessness is driven from within? Living on a basis of self-esteem – as I did myself for so many years – it’s natural to want to seize every opportunity, prove ourselves and strive for better things. By shifting to self-worth, some of this imperative gets removed, which brings more inner stability.

Sure, it’s good to be adaptable – essential in today’s world. But surely, it’s equally good to have consistency of purpose, steady relationships, healthy routine and loyal friends? Perhaps that’s why so many of the Self-Worth Safari travelers talk about self-worth (and self-love) as a homecoming.