My self worth is rising with every passing day.

Worth doesn't behave like a share price, though most people track it as one: up after praise on Tuesday, down after a curt email on Wednesday.

What rises, day by day, is access. The rope down to it gets shorter. You spend less time in the pit after a setback, recover in an afternoon instead of a fortnight, and stop needing a third party to confirm you're all right.

That's a real climb and a slow one. Measured across a decade rather than a morning, most people find they've covered a considerable distance without ever feeling the ascent.