GHW - Does your worth depend on being helpful?

Published: Thu, 06/04/26

Updated: Thu, 06/04/26

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The Relentless Nurturer

We often carry a part of ourselves—let’s call it the “Relentless Nurturer”—whose entire identity is built on being useful to others. This part genuinely believes that if it isn’t giving, fixing, or holding space, your worth as a human being might evaporate. It’s a strategy, not a character flaw. In a recent group we’ve been exploring how these parts take the wheel in our lives to keep us “valuable” often at the expense of our own nervous system regulation.

The tragedy of the Relentless Nurturer is that while it is so good at caring for everyone else, it often treats self-care as a luxury or a moral failure. But what if you practiced a different truth? What if your worth was inherent, and not a paycheck you earn through service? This week, I invite you to pause when you feel that flicker of “I must be helping.” Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly, and simply breathe. You don’t have to earn your right to exist by being useful; you are allowed to be nurtured, too.

My Inner Parts Quiz is a free tool for exploring your Inner parts including the Relentless Nurturer.

Take The Quiz!

You’re Not Broken: Parts Work for Healing: Free Podcast Resource

Last year I was interviewed by Annika Taylor on her Wellness Rebel podcast. This was such a great interview I thought I would share it with all of you again.

Listen To Podcast

Exploring Beliefs Around Worth and Value

Does your worth depend on being helpful? It’s a question that keeps so many of us in a state of high-alert, quietly believing that if we stop for even a moment—if we stop fixing, managing, or nurturing everyone else—we might lose our place in the world. In our recent “Befriend Your Story” session, we began exploring these deep-seated beliefs, tracing the “shoulds” and expectations that weren’t ours to begin with.

If you find yourself playing the role of the person everyone leans on while your own body feels like it’s standing on a trapdoor, you aren’t broken; you are simply carrying a legacy of productivity that feels like the only thing keeping you safe. Real healing begins when we stop analyzing these patterns and start learning how to safely set that heavy burden down, reclaiming the truth that your inherent worth was never something you had to earn through service—it’s something you were born with, regardless of how much you “do” for others.

I am taking a break from offering Intro To Befriend Your Story sessions for June. Are there topics you would like me to cover in an Intro to Befriend Your Story? If you have thoughts, reply and let me know.

Upcoming Events & Community Offerings

FREE Tending Together Community Circle: Gentle, 30-minute Zoom circles to ground and reset. Join the Tending Together community

June 4 – Tending To New Growth (4pm PDT | 5pm MDT | 6pm CDT | 7pm EDT)
June 23 – Tending To Old Patterns (8am PDT | 9am MDT | 10am CDT | 11am EDT)

Join Tending Together

June First Friday Art Walk (in person): June 5th, 4-7pm at the Old Central School in Grand Rapids, MN. We will have make and take inspirational / motivational cards at my suite, #109.

Let’s Stay Connected

If your heart is longing for a space to be seen and supported, or if you have questions about any of these offerings, I warmly invite you to reply to this email. Your journey matters, and I am honored to walk alongside you.

With warmth and gratitude,

~ Kimberly Erickson
Growing Harmony Within

P.S. For more reflections, resources, and the latest offerings, visit the Growing Harmony Within website. I always welcome your stories and questions—just reply to this email if you’d like to share what’s on your mind or heart.

35016 State Hwy 6
Deer River MN 56636
US

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