Kiran Athar
A woman who knows her worth is strong and capable.
She’s powerful.
She lives life on her terms.
And most importantly:
She doesn’t take sh*t from anyone!
Are you this woman? Or would you like to be this woman?
The truth is, self-worth isn’t something we’re born with. We’re shaped by our childhood and adult experiences, and it takes practice to build up such a powerful sense of self in such a tumultuous world…
So, even if you’re not quite there yet, the good news is, it’s never too late to learn!
Here are 10 powerful signs of a woman who knows her worth:
1. She won’t settle for less – she knows she deserves the best
A woman who knows her worth knows that she deserves the best out of life. She doesn’t settle – whether it’s for a man, a job, or a badly cooked meal in a restaurant.
You see, when you know your worth, you essentially know the value that you bring to the table…
So why settle for a job that doesn’t appreciate you?
Or a man who treats you like you’re an afterthought?
If you go after what you want, aim high, and set your standards to above average, there’s a good chance you know your worth and aren’t willing to take anyone’s crap!
By doing this, you’re showing the world that you won’t take second best.
But people will still try.
Employers will fail you and boyfriends will disappoint, but rather than let them define who you are, you just keep going until you finally get what you know you deserve!
2. She has a strong sense of self-respect and stands up for herself
Part of going for what you want comes from having a strong sense of self-respect.
Imagine the person you respect the most in the world; maybe a parent, relative, or friend.
If someone was stunting their opportunities or putting them down in some way, wouldn’t you stand up for them?
Well, a woman who knows her worth does this for herself.
She doesn’t let anyone tell her how capable (or incapable) she is. She already knows. And if someone tries to dampen her spirit, she’s perfectly able to put them (politely) back in their place!
Does this sound like you?
If so, you’re probably quite self-aware and in touch with your emotions…. You don’t have a problem saying “no” to things you don’t want to do.
This leads me to my next point:
3. She sets healthy boundaries and knows how to enforce them
What are healthy boundaries?
These are our limits; it’s our way of letting other people know what behaviors or actions we find acceptable (and what we don’t).
A woman who knows her worth and doesn’t take sh*t from anyone will have strong boundaries in place and will assert them whenever she needs to.
She knows the dangers of letting people walk all over her.
As PsychCentral explains:
“Personal boundaries are important for establishing a sense of self-worth and a sense of self-love. Those who grew up unable to establish their own personal space or to have a sense of control over their own life may have learned to seek approval or validation from others instead of trusting themselves and building a solid sense of self-identity.”
Essentially, without healthy boundaries, it’s pretty hard to increase feelings of self-worth.
So, if you’ve got your boundaries straight and aren’t afraid to enforce them, girlfriend, sounds like you’re on the right path!
And if you haven’t, I highly recommend reading this guide on setting boundaries – it’s never too late to start putting them in place.
4. She sees her flaws and imperfections as an opportunity for growth
Women with a low sense of self-worth will feel conscious about their imperfections.
From ignoring them, denying them, or getting upset when they’re pointed out, they’ll try to brush their flaws under the rug…
But a badass woman with an intact sense of worth embraces her flaws.
She’ll even be open and upfront about them…not to show off…but to acknowledge that she’s self-aware and making changes!
You see, she takes these imperfections as an opportunity for growth. She knows she’ll never be perfect, and she doesn’t chase the idea of it.
Instead, she just wants to be the best version of herself.
As I mentioned earlier, she has self-respect. She wants to do and be better and she knows she deserves it.
She also knows she’s capable of achieving it!
That’s why she doesn’t let her flaws hold her back. But that’s not the only thing…
5. She’s able to let go of toxic people and toxic relationships
She’s perfectly fine with leaving toxic people and relationships out of her life too.
Ladies, if you don’t need a man to define your worth, be proud.
If you don’t keep repeating toxic relationship cycles, be proud.
And if you say goodbye to relationships that hurt you, even familial relationships, be extra proud of yourself!
You know your worth.
Here’s the thing:
A woman who holds herself in high regard and doesn’t settle for less (as we discussed above) knows that the relationships around her need to be to a high standard too.
So, rather than spotting the red flags and hoping for a miracle, she leaves.
She doesn’t give men the opportunity to treat her like sh*t twice, and if her mother is a narcissist she has no problem limiting contact or cutting her out completely!
Protecting her energy is a priority; she’ll go to any lengths to make sure she stays at peace.
Except for the next point, in this case, she’s willing to take a few risks…
6. She enjoys stepping out of her comfort zone and learning new things
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place. But nothing ever grows there.” – John Assaraf
Another sign of a woman who knows her worth is that she enjoys pushing her boundaries and being uncomfortable from time to time.
This could anything:
- Picking up a sport
- Learning a new language
- Going solo traveling
- Changing career
- Moving away from her hometown
The truth is, many people stay happy in their little comfort zone. But there often comes a time when they wish they’d done more with their life…taken a few more risks, and believed in themselves more.
But that’s the sad truth of low self-worth. It makes you think twice about leaving the safety zone!
So, if you enjoy getting out into the world and seeing how far you can push yourself, it’s likely you’ve got a strong sense of self-worth!
P.S. – the more you push your limits, the more your self-esteem and worth actually increase. Every time you accomplish something you never dreamed you could, you add another building block of strength and self-belief.
7. She’s authentic and honest with the world about who she is
I mentioned earlier that a woman who knows her worth will embrace her flaws…this also extends to being open and honest about herself in her entirety.
Put simply:
She’s as authentic as they come!
She doesn’t need to hide behind a mask full of makeup or a personality reserved for the outside world…
Oh, far from it.
A woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone knows that she has to be herself to be seen, heard and respected.
She knows that not everyone will like her, and guess what?
She doesn’t care!
The people who love her are who she keeps close by, and everyone else’s opinions don’t matter. It’s not that she thinks she’s above anyone else, but she recognizes that you can’t please everyone in the world, so you might as well just be yourself.
If you’re an authentic woman who knows her worth, you’ll:
- Take responsibility for yourself when you need to
- Be true to your values and beliefs
- Act with sincerity
- Feel comfortable in your own skin
- Love and accept yourself for who you are, not what society thinks you should be!
8. She has goals and aspirations for her life
Another powerful sign of a woman who knows her worth and won’t take anyone’s shit is having clear goals and aspirations.
The truth is, up until recently, most women weren’t told they could have the whole world.
There are so many expectations on women to work in certain sectors, stop working to have kids, and give up careers to support their husbands…the list could go on!
But a woman who knows her worth stares down people who put limitations on her.
She has a vision and she’ll stop at nothing to get there!
That’s not to say she won’t face setbacks. Of course, she will.
But thanks to her high levels of self-esteem, confidence and respect, she’ll pick herself back up each time and come back stronger and better prepared.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that to have a sense of worth you need to be the most successful career woman in the world.
Not at all.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom raising your babies, or working part-time at the local bakery, as long as you’re doing what makes YOU happy and fulfilled, that’s all that matters.
9. She’s not swayed by other people’s opinions
But to do the above, you need to be pretty thick-skinned.
As I mentioned, the world has plenty of opinions on how a woman should be, and what she should do.
Rather than let that get you down, if you’re a woman who knows her worth, you’ll have learned to brush it off, chin up, and walk away with grace and elegance.
Or, maybe you tell them to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.
Either way, you don’t let other people’s opinions bother you or change how you feel about yourself!
And damn right you shouldn’t.
There are enough people out there to pass negative judgments, a woman with worth knows that she needs to keep her mind mentally strong, but also kind.
She’s kind to herself when others aren’t. She cuts out people who intentionally make her feel bad. And when someone tells her she’s not good enough or won’t be able to make it?
She goes the extra mile to make sure she achieves what she wants – but not to prove them wrong.
She does it to prove herself right.
10. She’s not dependent on anyone else to feel good about herself
And finally, if a woman doesn’t rely on anyone else to feel good about herself, she’s a powerful woman who knows her worth!
Often, people with low self-esteem and self-worth will enter into codependent relationships; they rely on their partner to feel emotionally fulfilled.
Simply put:
Their self-worth is based on how they’re treated by someone else.
Think about that for a moment…
Imagine putting that amount of power into the hands of someone else? What if one day they change their mind? What if they leave?
A woman who knows her worth knows that it’s too valuable to be left in the hands of someone else.
That’s why she depends only on herself.
Her emotions are in her control. She will, of course, experience sadness, pain, and anger.
But she doesn’t let these emotions define her. She doesn’t let the actions or words of others define her sense of worth.
If anything, to this type of woman, how people behave is a reflection of THEM, not her.
So, with all of these signs combined, it’s not hard to see why a woman with this amount of self-worth won’t take sh*t from anyone!
And if you fall into this category, my heartiest congratulations to you. Keep on loving yourself and pushing those limits!
But what if you wish you could increase your sense of self-worth?
I’m going to share a few tips with you that really helped me:
How to increase self-worth (and stop taking sh*t from people):
I’m not going to lie, raising your worth and self-esteem takes time. So, don’t expect miracles to happen overnight. You need to be persistent, even when it feels hopeless.
You will get there, but patience is key.
- Start saying no. I shared an article earlier on how to set boundaries. This is your starting point, get those in place and the rest will follow much easier.
- Recognize the things you’re good at and stop focusing on your limitations. The more you do this, the more you’ll evoke happy feelings rather than frustration.
- Speak kindly to yourself. Reframe the way you talk to yourself – when you mess up, rather than berate yourself, imagine you were talking to a friend. Use those same kind words to yourself.
- Give yourself small challenges that push your comfort barriers. No need to jump out of an airplane or move country. Just something small, and work your way up. Don’t forget to celebrate your wins!
- Surround yourself with good people. I can’t stress this one enough, the company you keep holds a lot of influence. If they aren’t genuine and sincere, it’s time to say bye!
Practice the above daily, and I guarantee with time you’ll see a difference in not only how you view yourself, but how others see you too!
