In a recent Akashic Record Insights Workshop, we explored a bit about self-worth. Discussion began with this question:
Does the soul believe it is worthy?
Self-worth is an intrinsic truth, not something to be proven through external validation or achievement. Power dynamics, blind production, and societal conditioning create the false belief that worth must be earned. Recognizing inherent worth dissolves these illusions, allowing for a deeper, more authentic experience of love and personal power.
The concept of self-worth is an experience that the soul encounters on multiple levels through infinite physical experiences. When the soul takes form—such as incarnating as a human being—there is an inherent struggle with self-worth, shaped by the planet’s energy, especially over the last two or three thousand years. The soul, manifesting as a physical body on Earth, knows on some level that it will engage with self-worth in some way.
This means that a soul can inhabit a body while human awareness struggles with the idea of inherent value. A person may live without believing in their own worth, creating a profound inner conflict.
Is Self-Worth a Human Construct?
Participant: It’s almost as if the concept of self-worth is strictly a human experience. Right?
Cheryl Marlene: Yes, it’s a human thing because, for the last few thousand years, humanity has been living in a state of separation—between body, mind, heart, and soul. This division creates a hierarchy, making one aspect superior to another. That idea weaves into the human psyche, reinforcing the belief that people are not inherently worthy or good enough.
This struggle drives the human need to prove worth.
External Validation and Blind Production
Participant: Or to find an outside source—like in religion. I was raised in a religious household, where God is the external authority declaring whether you are worthy. But you’re born inherently bad, so you need an external force to redeem you.
Cheryl Marlene: Yes. This is what I call blind production—one of twelve pressure points that shape modern life. These pressure points influence human behavior until they are consciously addressed and released.
The first pressure point is the delusion of power over, which dictates that all power dynamics must function as either power over or power under. This belief then leads to blind production—the idea that worth must be proven through action. It’s “blind” because people can’t see its influence, and it’s “production” because it demands constant output.
As you pointed out, this external validation pushes individuals outside of themselves, making them seek authority figures or actions to confirm their worth. For example, the pursuit of life purpose is often entangled in blind production—people believe that finding their purpose proves they are worthy. This idea is embedded in many religious traditions.
The Trap of Proving Worth
Karma is also woven into this struggle. People become so focused on proving their worth that they fail to realize an essential truth: worth is intrinsic. It cannot be proven because it already exists.
This realization—the understanding that worth is inherent—marks the moment when the physical self integrates with the spiritual self. The union of body, mind, heart, and soul reveals what the soul has always known: you are intrinsically worthy.
Right now, many people are doing this work daily, slowly shifting from “I must prove myself” to “I don’t need to prove anything.” This does not mean there is nothing to learn, adjust, or release. But it challenges the conventional notion that self-worth is a destination—a point of perfection that must be attained.
Participant: Right! And perfection is subjective.
Cheryl Marlene: Exactly. The problem is that when people chase worth, they encounter subjective judgment. The goalposts constantly shift. One day, being worthy means following a certain faith. But then someone else comes along and says, “You didn’t do it the right way.”
This is the rat race—the endless pursuit of validation that never fully satisfies. People either continue chasing external approval or step into blame, believing that someone else has stolen their ability to feel worthy.
Ego and the Fear of Self-Worth
Participant: That’s really interesting. On an egoic level, humans seem deeply habitual. Even if someone realizes their worth, the ego tries to pull them back into the rat race. It’s like the ego craves stress—if things get peaceful, it creates new problems just to stay busy.
Cheryl Marlene: Yes! And that’s intentional. Ego, as it has been institutionalized, ensures that people never fully feel worthy. The belief has been ingrained that if you declare your worth, you are egotistical.
So now what? If worthiness is ego, but worthiness is also essential, where does that leave someone?
Many people stay trapped in false humility, believing they must remain small to avoid arrogance. But that just perpetuates the struggle. That’s why I define ego as an inflexible sense of self—a rigid identity tied to external validation.
Ego, in this context, becomes the demand for perfection—whatever that might mean. Even self-subservience can be framed as perfection. The power-over paradigm never wants individuals to feel their intrinsic worth, because if they do, they will reject subservience and step into power within.
Power Within and Power With
Feeling worthy leads to stepping into power within, which then allows for power with rather than power over. Many people fear that embracing their worth will turn them into oppressors, but that’s part of the power-over illusion.
The power-over dynamic tries to convince people that the only two choices are power over or power under. If someone rejects subservience, they must become a tyrant. But that is false—there are more possibilities.
Participant: So there’s no alternative? It’s either dominance or submission?
Cheryl Marlene: That’s the illusion. A static, rigid belief system maintains the control structure. It tells people:
You are not worthy. If you dare to believe you are, you are an egotistical tyrant.
That keeps people stuck. But the moment someone even begins to question—”Maybe I am not that bad”—an opening emerges. That’s the first step toward realizing that power within exists and that it’s different from dominance.
Self-Worth and Love
Participant: If someone truly loves themselves, wouldn’t that naturally extend to loving others? If I overflow with love for myself, wouldn’t that also mean I love the world around me?
Cheryl Marlene: Yes, but love is also used to reinforce unworthiness.
If someone struggles with worth and begins to feel good about themselves, they might fear becoming egotistical. Instead of embracing their intrinsic value, they retreat and say, “I love everyone,” using love as a shield to avoid fully claiming their worth.
True Love and Worthiness
When someone deeply believes in their intrinsic worth—when they understand that they have nothing to prove—their experience of love changes. Love is no longer a decision or an act of self-justification. It becomes an expression of recognizing the infinite and eternal nature of all things.
Love, in this state, is no longer a mechanism for manipulation, judgment, or self-validation. It is simply the acknowledgment of existence as it is.
Participant: That makes sense. Ouch.
Cheryl Marlene: Yes. Because love, when filtered through unworthiness, can become a tool for control. It can be used to prove, excuse, or manipulate. But when someone truly steps into their worth, love becomes a natural state of being, free from judgment and conditions.
Find more content like this on Cheryl’s YouTube Channel.
