Underestimating self-worth has many negative consequences. Lack of self-confidence, neglect of one’s needs, lack of trust, reduced mood are just some of them.
Why is self-worth important, where does it come from, and where to look for it? This is what Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse focuses on in this guide: “Learning to Love Yourself: Finding Your Self Worth”.
CAUSES
Every person is a different story. We go through different experiences. We are brought up in different environments. We meet different people. The author pays attention to the behavior patterns learned in the family home from the very beginning. She tries to help the Reader to discover a child in himself. She shows what innocent phrases or situations have reduced the level of our confidence in ourselves. It often happens that despite our adult age we are still afraid to decide our own fate. We are also stuck in erroneous beliefs that have anchored in us and do not tell the truth about ourselves. Above all, the way we are. That we can, even if we are wrong, that we are important, that our opinion counts.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO HAPPINESS
Lowered self-esteem contributes to avoiding social contacts. In close relations, it does not help to reveal one’s needs. This is also accompanied by a lack of self-confidence because my opinion does not count. This is a fundamental error because everyone has something interesting to say.
ADDICTION
An interesting thread of the book is the relationship between addiction and self-esteem. Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse does not doubt that getting rid of an addiction is one of the first and necessary steps to regain self-esteem. If you agree with the definition of addiction as something that causes harm, then you undoubtedly deserve not to lose out on it.
UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
I appreciate the author’s comments on creating relations. She indicates what really makes a relationship healthy and why sometimes some relationships should end. It is good to be surrounded by people who really care about us and value us as we are.
LOSSES
A natural part of life is a loss. From animals to humans – closer and further. We cannot avoid this. Everyone has their own time and you should not rush anyone by saying: “GET A GRIP!.” This guide breaks the pattern that crying is a sign of weakness. Showing feelings and emotions is a natural part of humanity and everyone has a right to it. It doesn’t matter if we have taken away from our environment one or the other stereotypes.
LOOK FOR HAPPINESS
Finally, the guide is also an attempt to show the way that leads to self-love. I think that everyone can find their own way. You can copy it directly from the book and maybe you can use an analogy. We don’t live in a homogeneous environment and not all tips can be transferred directly. The author’s advice is simple and can sometimes be difficult to implement.
CONCLUSIONS
What I have drawn from this book is, above all, the conviction that each of us represents the value we will notice in ourselves. The opinion of others is usually just an opinion and not a fact. In the age of the Internet, it is easy to fall prey to the hate. It is important to believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who really care about us.
That is why I recommend the book. An interesting position, short and quite practical.
I’ve already read the fourth edition of the book, so I think that this in itself proves the good reputation of this position. Weak books disappear from the shelves rather quickly – not because of the greater demand for them.

Title: “Learning to Love Yourself: Finding Your Self Worth“
Publication Year: 2012
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Health Communications.Inc