In a world driven by external validation—likes, comments, applause, promotions—it’s easy to forget the most vital voice that shapes your destiny: your own.

💡 How you see yourself matters the most.

This single truth has the power to either:

🗝 Liberate you from the opinions of others

⛓ Imprison you in their judgment

Your perception of yourself influences:

🧠 Your choices

💪 Your confidence

🔄 Your resilience

🚀 And ultimately, your future

🎯 You are the first audience of your dreams.
If you don’t believe in your worth, neither will others.
If you constantly doubt your abilities, no compliment will ever be enough.
But if you look in the mirror and see:
💪🏽 Strength.

💎 Value.

🌺 Beauty.

🔥 Potential.

Then no criticism can undo you.

📖 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
When God called Gideon in Judges 6:12, the angel of the Lord said:
🗣 “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

Yet Gideon saw himself as the weakest in his clan.
It wasn’t until Gideon began to see himself through God’s eyes that he rose to fulfill his calling.

👉🏼 Like Gideon, many of us are not short of potential—we’re just short of the right perspective.

👤 Real-Life Example:
Oprah Winfrey, born into poverty and faced with abuse and rejection, didn’t let her background define her.
She saw herself as worthy of success, and her self-perception became the foundation of her global influence.

✨ She reminds us that how you see yourself is not about arrogance—
It’s about owning your truth and nurturing self-respect.

⚠ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲
Seeing yourself as:
❌ Inadequate.

❌ Broken.

❌ Worthless.

…leads to 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚.
You begin to:

💔 Settle for less.

🤐 Tolerate abuse.

🏃 Run from opportunities you feel you don’t deserve.

🕳 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 and 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 often root themselves in this 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

🪄 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆?
✅ See the scars as survival marks.
✅ See the flaws as features of your uniqueness.
✅ See your story as a script still unfolding—not the end.

🗣 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆:
✨ I am enough.

❤ I deserve love, joy and peace.

🔁 My past does not define me.

👁 I see myself as God sees me—worthy, strong and full of purpose.

🛑 You don’t need the world to approve you.
✅ Approve yourself first.
🚶🏼‍♂ Walk boldly.
🧠 Think positively.
👗 Dress confidently.
🗣 Speak with dignity.

Because how you see yourself… truly matters the most.

🌟 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.
🔗 For more inspirational lecture series by the author, kindly visit:
👉🏼 www.spdsfoundation.org

📚 Please Read. Comment. Share this message.

✍🏽 Written by:
© James Ola Emiola-Dakobiri FIIM
🌍 Founder & President,
Suicide Prevention and Depression Support Foundation
🇳🇬 Nigeria & 🇺🇸 United States of America

🔗 Connect & Inspire:
📞 Phone:
📱 ‪‪+1(773)344-6313‬‬ | 📱 ‪‪+2348028057889‬‬

📧 Email:
✉ info@spdsfoundation.org

🌐 Website:
🔗 ‪www.spdsfoundation.org‬

📘 Facebook: SPDS FOUNDATION
📸 Instagram: @spdsfoundation
💼 LinkedIn: Suicide Prevention and Depression Support (SPDS) Foundation

📱 WhatsApp:
🇳🇬 ‪‪+2348028057889‬‬ | 🇺🇸 ‪‪+1(773)344-6313‬‬

📩 Gmail: info@spdsfoundation.org

🗣 For more inspirational blogs & lectures, visit:
👉🏼 ‪www.spdsfoundation.org‬

📚 Read. Comment. Share. Inspire.