Hard to believe, but true.

I’ve heard things most of my life, some subtle and some not so subtle – telling me I’m not enough. Maybe you have too.

• You’ll never be beautiful like her. You’ll be attractive. As if attractive is a consolation prize.
• You’re too skinny. That was an accusable offense when I was in grade school.
• You’ll never move up. Said by a new department head during my annual review. Note: This same guy was later sued for sexually harassing a coworker who happened to be dating F. Lee Bailey’s son at the time.
• You’re no good at this. You should find something else to do. This from a man I worked for as a temp while his secretary was on maternity leave.
• We’re letting you go. I was released from a job because the man who hired me changed the entire job description the day I started and canceled over 50 meetings with me that would have answered my questions and helped me learn the job.

From a young age, I have felt like an imposter, inadequate, not enough, unworthy. No matter how hard I tried, it never seemed to be enough. For me.

Without realizing it, I became obsessed with being enough. For me it was education. Of having the right credentials to prove my worth. I got a bachelor’s degree while working full time and being a single parent. I graduated cum laude. You’d think that would be enough, but it wasn’t.

I discovered homeopathy in the 90s and attended one school, completed that, and then studied acupressure and Traditional Chinese Medicine; I hadn’t even finished that I went to another homeopathic school. I took a few years off and then studied holistic Nutrition and health coaching.

I don’t tell you this to impress you. I tell you because as great as these things were, they left me feeling empty. Every time I finished a program, I felt unfulfilled. It wasn’t enough.

I was still looking for the wow factor. I wanted to feel something, anything, other than not enough.

By the time I’d signed up for Naturopathy training, I had an aha moment. A knowing. I didn’t need this training to make me great. To give me more respect, to feel smarter, or accepted.

And miraculously, I was ok with that. I remember saying to myself that if I got nothing out of my naturopathic training other than to heal myself, that would be more than enough. I was done chasing the unrealistic expectations I had placed on myself.

I learned a valuable lesson: I had been looking on the outside to make myself feel better on the inside. To Feel Worthy.

Friend, there’s one thing I want to tell you that I hope you hear loud and clear.

Worthiness does not come from others. You can’t buy it. You can’t earn it. No one can give it to you – Because you already have it. You were born worthy. The mere fact that you’re here makes you worthy. You wouldn’t have to do another thing in your life, and you’d still be worthy – of love, success, financial abundance, all of it. Even rest. Especially rest.

Please don’t feel sorry for me. I appreciate and love that you might want to do that, but it’s completely unnecessary. Because I’ve learned that my self-worth is an inside job. And what I know for sure is I am worthy of everything my heart desires and so are you.

I hope you find the strength to look inside yourself and recognize your own worthiness. You are enough just the way you are. You are loved – simply for being who you are. And if you need any help, I highly recommend the book, Worthy, by Jamie Kern Lima. She’s donating all profits to charities that help women and Feeding America. But please know you don’t need the book to be worthy.

Be still. Listen to your heart – it has all the answers. Speak your truth with kindness and compassion. You are enough just the way you are.

Wishing you everything,

Dr. Kat