On Feeling Worthy

Thor holds out his outstretched arm and his hammer magically finds its way to him.  From the world of Stan Lee, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”

You are granted an opportunity to do something grand; you get to meet someone you’ve idolized or create something special.  And something inside you churns.

This thing you’re committing to, you begin to wonder whether it’s the right thing and if you are the one to do it.  Personally, that feeling has hit me multiple times over my lifetime. You might relate: The first time I landed a big contract on my own, I didn’t know if I was worthy of the contract.  The first time I bought a car on my own, I questioned whether I was really worthy of a new car. Perhaps the questions of value were fleeting. And though passing quickly, the personal assessment was real.  

Remember first dates, job interviews, and as an entrepreneur, opening for business for the first time?  Scary times, and we all made it through.

 

Who judges worthiness?    

Whosoever holds this hammer… who is judging the worthiness of the holder?

 

Yes, there are some that would say that an outside God-force is the judge.  And while that force might be a partner, consider that the current judge of worthiness is… you!  

This Wednesdays With Wayne won’t take us down a religious path.  There may or may not be some mighty judgement at the end.  Karma may or may not pay us back immediately or later. This kind of judgement is delayed for a later benefit or punishment.

Yet right now, as you face that next big decision, only one person can truly affirm worthiness.  YOU.

 

You can confer comfort and confidence upon a child with the words, “I’m really proud of you.”

You can transfer a sense of belonging with phrases of, “You can DO this” and “I love you.”

And when we hear these things, something in us settles.

 

Yet when we face the challenge inherent in taking on the big move we’re about to take, we pause.  

“Am I good enough?”

“Do I deserve this?”

“What if I’m not really the right person for this?”

 

…Am I Worthy?

 

With worthiness comes responsibility.  

And this is where the judgement of self really heats up.  As humans, we each have a responsibility to lift others. The questions of worthiness often come with questions of what you’ve done or will do to earn some reward.  Thor’s worthiness to possess power came at the cost of using that power to help others.  

Remember that here, in the realm of the worthy, there’s no room for “poor, poor, pitiful me.”  You really need to stand up and own your space. Leaders need to lead without asking for permission.  

Doers need to do.  Without feeling sorry for themselves, those worthy of starting a movement always ask for help and support.  When you are working towards something or receiving something, it’s never done alone. Olympic athletes have multiple coaches and have teammates, even when they’re in a solitary sport category.  No one can run the miles for them, while at the same time they have a lot of people supporting the journey.  

If you’re working toward something, your worthiness question might show up in wondering whether you’ve put in “enough” work towards that thing.  If you were given a gift, the same question arises. And the answer is that work gets you closer to your goal so that step-by-step you are making progress while a gift is granted as such and there’s no additional steps to be taken.  

Where you need to focus is upon what’s next.  Once you’ve attained your goal and/or been bestowed a gift, what is your next?  You have a responsibility to uphold a certain value inherent in the acquisition of the goal or gift.  Elected officials and company officers each have a responsibility to craft and then uphold the values and direction of the community/organization they represent.  Those who have been bestowed a gift have a responsibility to honor the intention with which it was bequeathed while, at the same time, making an individual use of it.  (An example here is that if someone were given a car, it is reasonable to expect that they would honor the rules of the road at the same time bringing their own coffee cup, wheel or seat covers, etc. to it.  There are no restrictions on where to drive it; there are, however, needs for maintaining it.)  

Assuming a generally positive moral compass is at work, then the actions taken, and judgement of worthiness, will never be absolute.  We each, as individuals, determine what the “right” direction is. You know whether you are doing good or causing harm.   

 

So are you worthy?  

 

Only you can say.  

It is likely that you’re worthy of so much more than you’ve stepped up to take on and enjoy.   

 

Take inventory of your actions and direction.

Look to the future.

Step forward boldly.

 

Keep making your magic.  See you here next week.

~ Dr P ~