I realize that it is okay to show your true self. I was afraid to show my personality in my twenties. I was buttoned up, got the job done professional. But I was a fun, spunky woman. I don’t think it would have hurt to let my sense of humor show a bit more. Now I can see that being your real self at work can lead to more real conversations and ideas.
Now I’m getting to the point where I speak my mind and have fun too. I think having the courage to speak your mind is part of self-worth. Self-worth is different than having self-confidence…or the “guts” to do things. It’s about doing it with knowledge of yourself. I think you have to learn to feel good about yourself. I really think we learn to feel good about ourselves from the inside because there comes a point where the outside achievements—they’re awesome — but they’re not important. I’ve learned self-worth has to do with respecting yourself with men and women alike. – 40-something, graphic artist, designer, NYC