It is one of the questions that bounce from generation to generation.
It is a kind of evergreen that is probably as old as the deepest questions that humans began to ask themselves thousands of years ago.
In the meantime, it would be useful to rephrase it with a coaching approach and try to formulate it at least as an open question.
“To what extent is it worth to me?”, “Is it worth my effort?”, “What do I value in this specific case?”
But this is not enough, because behind the question “Is it worth it?” lie our deepest questions that deal with the areas of uncertainty that dot our lives and where it is a hard task to constantly wonder what is truly worth and what we may overlook.
More and more people I support as a coach are today asking themselves this question, above all young talents.
My efforts, these sacrifices, all this commitment, this stress… : “Is it worth it?”
It is a powerful question because it goes beyond the mere “What’s in it for me? What do I get out of it?” it is really “Is all this worth my sacrifice? The sacrifice of a part of me?”
Sacrifice in the original meaning of Latin “sacrum facere” and that is, “I make it ‘sacred’ for me”
That’s why it’s a powerful question, and it’s a question everyone should ask themselves.
Because it is about our inner world of values, about our values being constantly repositioned in our scale of priorities depending on situations, about their constant dialogue that leads us to questioning, challenging and evolving ourselves.
Because it deals with something bigger than my goals, because it involves the deep meaning of my acting, of my being on this Earth in a unique way.
Because it has to do with my purpose, my “call” that goes beyond passions and projects.
Because it brings and blends the past and the future into my present.
Working on “Is it worth it?” opens unexpected horizons of awareness.
It is a wish for the beginning of this new year, it is a question that is useful in all circumstances, it can help even in small everyday things because, you know, it is from small things that great feats start.
Here are some questions to facilitate the exercise:
Does it have value to me?
In what way does it have value, in what way does this “thing” I am wondering about reflects the person I am and want to be?
What can help me understand whether it is worth it to me?
What part of me am I sacrificing, am I making “sacred”?
What meaning do I want to give to this sacrifice?
Toward what horizon is it leading me?
What will tell me if it was worth it or not?
