Conversation about self-worth and self-esteem (part 3) “...How not to periodically slip back into an inferiority complex, into despair, into pity for yourself, so unlucky and unhappy...” Periodically “slipping down” is absolutely normal; fortunately, we are living people who are capable of feeling and reacting emotionally. And this is wonderful, without emotions life is incomplete. The problem is to learn not to feel GUILT for “slipping.” It’s like getting dirty and washing yourself. You don’t feel guilty about sweating and smelling bad, you just go and wash yourself. Is it true? So it is here. It is very important to allow yourself to be yourself, weak, small, dissatisfied, but it is also important to know for sure that you are a VALUABLE PERSONALITY, simply because you live and you don’t need to do anything special for this. Of course, this is difficult to understand, society explained to us and we, like good, enthusiastic students, have learned that we are judged by our deeds, achievements, victories, etc., and by ourselves we are “empty place.” This is a treacherous lie. All people are valuable by birth. Therefore, religion speaks of universal salvation and forgiveness; in every person there is a SPARK OF GOD, a SOUL. If a person has sinned, sincerely repents and promises that he will not do it again, he can be forgiven and given a chance to behave differently. In Orthodoxy there are Saints who repented of the thief. This is such wisdom! By the way, it is also very difficult to understand. Sometimes people (not burdened with knowledge) condemn religion for this. But religion and FAITH in GOD are different things. Religion is a tool, and FAITH is awareness of one’s worth, love for oneself, GOD, people, good deeds, mercy and peace in the soul, peace or humility (“God’s will for all things” is to accept oneself and one’s life with all its manifestations, and life is like an ocean - multifaceted and diverse. And it is not for us to judge what is good and what is bad for us when we simply cannot cope with our feelings, thoughts and body, do not care, do not educate, do not pamper, do not train, do not nourish, etc.) . Despair is precisely not agreeing with your feelings. “I expected one thing, but got another, I don’t like it, I don’t agree, I’m not pleased, etc.” To be continued.