Will Work for Respect

My therapist challenged me to look back on times when I found self-worth and self-respect, to figure out what exactly made me feel that way. This mostly involves looking back to when I was in a professional career, and perhaps even further to my early years in college. I haven't made lists before, but I think this will work better than the long form. Let's give it a go.

• Positive Aspects
• I worked my ass off (physically & mentally) and wore myself out in a beneficial way.
• I was good at what I did, often without even trying very hard.
• At other times I worked my ass off and was even better at things.
• I tried and worked hard.
• I succeeded, no matter what.
• I was rewarded for my hard work and given favorable treatment.
• I had some small power to make change and get rid of people that brought the department down. 
• I could do things with less second guessing myself and without looking back, and be correct.
• Potentially Negative Aspects
• I was able to be mean and ruthless towards people I thought were worthless.
• At school I was able to chuckle at slackers and watch them fail.
• I even succeeded at times that I thought I didn't deserve it.

This can be a bit to digest, so I am going to pluck out my main themes.

• Distilled Aspects
• working hard and gave effort
• success, power, and confidence
• things were easy and I won
• liked/respected by others

Let's go from there.