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How you value yourself will determine how others will place value on you. A form of self-ego is actually healthy, it is not pride, it is knowing your worth and acting accordingly. Do not allow someone else or others to underprice you, try to maintain your self-worth at all times. Remember that "if you use your best plate to pack trash, others will also use the same plate to pack garbage." - This is not about plates. If you want others to value you, then you must start by placing value on your own self.

<center>![pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842811.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQma4xUV5zJHRhHo6JPkBUocNRHLFMAeBLFYtE2az4NgNYY/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842811.jpg)</center>

<center><sub>Image from [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-eyeglasses-and-brown-jacket-842811)</sub></center>

In order to value yourself and to know your worth, there are things you need to put into consideration. Firstly, you need to discover yourself. The more you know who you are, the less likely you are to fall for who you are not. When you tell yourself the truth about who you are, no one will tell you who you are not. A lot of times, people would want to belittle you if they feel threatened by your potentials, but if you know your worth, you will not allow them to do so. More so, in the process of discovering yourself, you also need to work to update, up-skill, and upgrade yourself.

The truth is that the more you upgrade yourself, the less likely you are to feel intimidated by others, and the less likely they will undervalue you. Another thing to know is that you should learn to focus and mind your business. If you are not invited into a discussion, it is unwise to jump in and give your unsolicited opinion. This may simply make you to be insulted and be belittled. Even if you are less busy, look for something to keep you busy and not throwing your opinions around.

In addition, you should also be cautious of how you relate and interact with others. If someone does not want your company or does not care about you, then give them a space and stay clear. Anyone that does not value you nor your presence is not supposed to be your friend. Even if you force yourself on them, they will abuse the friendship. If they take you as one out of many options, then do yourself a favour by removing yourself from the equation, so as to protect your self-worth. More so, you should know that everyone you meet in a day is not mandated to be your friend - some are just for other reasons which may be temporary.

When you are busy working on yourself, you will not give people the privilege to undermine your worth. If you are friends with someone and you discover that you are the one that is constantly making efforts to keeping the friendship while the other person is more or less tolerating you, then you know what to do - stay off. A friend once shared about how he was the only person making attempts to keep his relationship; he calls first, chats first, and his friend will only respond with a line or an emoji. If he does not call, then they will not talk. This kept happening until a day he did not call because of some emergency situation and that was it, his friend never bothered why he never called for days. He advised himself to move on that she was not his friend. This reminds me of what one of my buddies once said:

> If they always show that they do not value you, then act like they do not exist.

<center>![pexels-fauxels-3228722.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQysjncemeJKJFmPaMtRR72ndSdEHBhFLhgCjeTquV4ga/pexels-fauxels-3228722.jpg)</center>

<center><sub>Image from [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-hugging-each-other-3228722)</sub></center>

As one of the signs of your maturity, you have to learn to be independent and take full responsibility for your life. I remember when I was in the university, there was this classmate that would always want me to come around her place or she will come visiting. But each time, she will always bring what I will help her to do; from school work to house work, etc. She had a shop were she sold accessories. It got to a point when she would ask me to help her stay in her shop while she does other stuff. However, I noticed that any time I asked her to help me with mine or request for a favour, she would give excuses.

I had to start withdrawing myself to focus on my own business, instead of submerging myself in someone else's business. It was not long and I got a place for my internship program and that was how I finally withdrew myself completely from her. In life, you have to know what people take you for; sometimes when they say "you are too good," it only means "you can be used without you complaining." So you should beware of such compliments from people that would only want to keep you for what they will gain from you, not because they want to help you grow.

***Thanks for reading***

<div class=phishy>Peace on y'all</div>

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