How to improve self-worth.

A true sign of self-worth and self-acceptance? Feeling good enough to be on camera without any make-up. This issue arose for several of us on a recent Google+ HOA (Hangout on Air)—a live show, but one that most people would watch as a rerun.  I, fairly new to this technology, didn’t realize that a simple click would switch off my camera, placing my photo for the two other women and two men on the show (each of us in our office staring at our computers) and the audience to see instead.

About a half hour into the show, it suddenly dawned on me that I was staring at four photos—in other words, I was the only one who had my camera on! Initially, I hadn’t been too keen with being on camera, having a cold, and wearing my glasses and no make-up. But what the heck, I finally figured. However, being the ONLY person on camera wasn’t okay with me. So I made my case, explaining how terrible I figured I looked feeling so crappy and all, but that I did it anyway.

Immediately, the two women told me that I looked fantastic, each explaining that they didn’t have their cameras on because they didn’t think that they looked good enough, either. Then boom. I was staring back at two of the most beautiful faces, the women saying that they’d felt my anguish and wanted to connect with me by turning on their cameras.

There we were, in all our naked beauty accepting ourselves and each other. It was a beautiful moment that made me stronger.