It was another Thursday in gym class, and Evan already knew how it would go. The teacher, Coach Robbins, handed the foam dodgeball to the team captains—two of the most athletic kids in the class—and told them to start picking their teams.
Evan stood on the sidelines, arms by his side, his gaze down, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot as one by one, the other kids were chosen.
"Tyler!" one of the captains called. Tyler grinned and jogged over, high-fiving a friend. Next came Jake, then Marcus, then Lucas, and so on, until the group of unpicked kids started to thin out. Evan stood there, bracing himself for the inevitable.
It wasn’t that he didn’t try. He did. But no matter how hard he worked, his throws were weak, his aim was off, and he had the reflexes of a turtle when it came to dodging anything.
The captains looked past him like he was invisible, their eyes scanning for someone—*anyone*—who wouldn’t be a “liability.” When it was just him and one other kid, the captains sighed and shrugged before Evan was chosen last - again.
His head was down and his feet dragged as he joined his team, trying not to notice the other kids who were rolling their eyes at being stuck with him.
His teammates didn’t even give him a job. They’d just yell, “Stay in the back!” while they dodged and threw and scrambled around to win points and avoid elimination.
The game felt like it went on forever. Thursdays in gym class were the worst for Evan. He felt small, helpless and inconsequential.
Evan was good at other things. He was musically gifted, and could play a song on the piano after hearing it just once. He was great in math, too, taking classes with kids several years his senior.
But none of that counted in gym.
The experience in gym class became a seed, quietly planting itself in his mind. If he wasn’t good enough for this, if he wasn’t fast or strong like the others, what did that make him? Maybe he wasn’t meant to be picked, to belong. He felt small, as though his quiet gifts didn’t measure up. And though he was too young to understand why, he began to believe that the captains were right to overlook him—that he wasn’t worthy of being chosen at all.
This feeling of unworthiness is something that most of us wrestle with, even if we don’t at first recognize this unwanted guest in our mind, whispering doubts about who we are and what we deserve. It’s that belief that tells you your successes were just a fluke, that you’re not talented enough to go after that promotion, not attractive enough to date that person, not brave enough or smart enough to go after your dreams.
Here’s the thing though—this belief is a flat-out lie. It’s simply something that we decided early on, without having the broad perspectives of the many different scenarios and dynamics we were part of as children.
As we heal this belief of unworthiness and recognize and embrace our true value, life begins to shift in some pretty magical ways. We gain confidence, fill our lives with more love, joy, abundance, freedom, and spiritual power.
So, How do we break the chains of unworthiness?
First things first, we need to recognize that it’s there. Sometimes we’re so used to feeling unworthy that it’s like background noise—we don’t even notice it anymore. You may find yourself avoiding opportunities or staying in situations where you feel small because, deep down, you don’t believe you deserve better.
Once we recognize the belief, we can actively challenge it. Every time the little voice says you’re not worthy or deserving of something, you counter back. “Yes, I am.” And then continue working with your targeted affirmations to gradually replace the old, false beliefs with empowering truths.
Embracing your worth isn’t about pretending to be perfect or having all the answers. It’s about knowing, deep down, that you’re worthy just as you are—flaws, quirks, bad hair days, and all. When you finally start believing this, incredible things happen.
You start speaking up in meetings, knowing your voice deserves to be heard. You stop seeking validation from people who wouldn’t know your true worth if it hit them in the face. You take risks, knowing that failure doesn’t define you—it’s just a step along the way. Your relationships deepen because you’re not constantly trying to prove yourself; you’re just showing up authentically.
Unworthiness may have been a chain that held you down, but you have the key. Embrace your value, own your power, and go forth with confidence.
Five Minute Fix guided meditation #29 -Breaking the chains of unworthiness: embracing your true value 🙌🏼
Comments