Those who define themselves by how the outside world reacts to them are basically functioning from their Ego-self. Sometimes refered to as “egotists”, they are essentially insecure people who are attempting to cover up their own suspicion that they are not quite as good as other people by pretending that they are more important. People with very high levels of self-esteem do not need to determine their self-worth by comparing themselves, either publicly or in their own minds, with others.

When one has a clear sense of self – in other words – a self-esteemed person – their sense of self-worth is primarily determined by internal mechanisms like personal vision or purpose, attitude, compassion, belief, and passion. These individuals usually have a direct sense of their relationship with God/dess/Love/Spirit/Truth/Universe.

This is not to be confused with the individual who follows a specific institutional religion or guru; rather, it is someone who knows themself to be a sacred creature and divine co-creator. These individuals honor the spark of God/dess/Love/Spirit/Truth/Universe within themselves, as well as others. I like to refer to this as the God-self (vs Ego-self)

The Godself is the essence of God within you. You are the essence of God physically expressing itself on Earth. The essence of God is love. Love is all you are, it is your true state, your real self. Love is your base, your foundation.

Erich Fromm, in his book, The Art of Loving, put it this way:

“Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character that determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one ‘object’ of love. If a person loves only one other person and is indifferent to the rest of his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism.

You are here in part to remember your Godself, your divinity. Your Godself is the truth of who you are.