M. Scott Peck, M.D., in The Road Less Traveled, states:

The feeling of being valuable-"I am a valuable
person"-is essential to mental health and is a
cornerstone of self-discipline. It is a direct product of
parental love. Such a conviction must be gained in
childhood; it is extremely difficult to acquire it during
adulthood. Conversely, when children have learned
through the love of their parents to feel valuable, it is
almost impossible for the vicissitudes of adulthood to
destroy their spirit. p.24

For me, the negativity and pessimism is the product of my genes and upbringing. Over the last decades, many professionals have tried to inculcate value into my life with little success.

I just ended another bout of therapy. The idea was to use cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to help me get past the then to the now. Unfortunately, I remain a humpty dumpty, unable to be put back together again.