A few weeks ago, I stumbled on a tale about Picasso being asked to draw something on a napkin, doing so, and then charging a very high sum for it. The person who wanted it exclaimed, “But you did that in thirty seconds!” Picasso said something like, no, it’s taken me forty years to be able to do that in thirty
seconds,” More of the story here, but it really got me thinking.
How much are you worth? I’m not talking about financial worth, but you, yourself. How much are you worth to the world you live in? How have made yourself valuable to others?
If you were thrust
into a barter civilization, how would you survive? What are your unique skills and talents that would be seen as valuable in a trade for someone else's offerings?
Recognizing our value and our (potential) contribution to
this world are critical components of our self-esteem and identity. We may not live in a barter situation like our forefathers, but what if the world changed and suddenly currency reverted back to goods, services and objects determined to have present-day value?
Once we know what we bring to this world, we have to learn to value our gifts and not take them for granted. When I left a career in corporate sales, I accidentally became a professional photographer.
At first, I didn't know to what degree I had that gift. I had always enjoyed taking photos and I didn’t know that not everyone has a natural knack for framing a subject well, or an eye to see what others miss.
When I learned people would pay me for that gift, I was astounded that I could do something I love, make money, and have a deep sense of fulfillment for both sides of the process! It was eye-opening. I had always worked for the highest paycheck without even considering what I was created to do.
In knowing your market value and what you’re meant to bring to the world, you have to know what you love to do, not just what you're good at (or can make money doing). What is the thing you would do for free, if you had all the
time in the world?
The next step in knowing your market value is being willing and able to appraise your gifts and talents accurately. When I was a new photographer without any formal training, it was difficult to charge
people for something that came so naturally to me. I felt guilty and I didn’t respect my gift. I got where I needed to be eventually, but Picasso apparently didn't have that problem.
A tell-tale sign that we’re not charging enough is how we feel about trading the time. I’ve experienced this in my current capacities as an artist, speaker and coach. For example, I LOVE guiding people through A Life Worth
Having and watching them transform before my eyes. But a few years ago, I noticed I was beginning to dread my sessions, even though I loved my clients. Why? I consulted someone in the coaching industry who told me that resenting the time given to coaching was a clear sign that I wasn’t charging enough.
She encouraged me to find a price that was high enough to eliminate my resentment, but not so high that I felt guilty for overcharging. She said I needed to choose pricing I could firmly stand on without, believing that I am worth whatever I decided to ask, and not go into those conversations apologizing and discounting my value.
While I’m sharing largely from an entrepreneurial perspective this week, owning your worth transfers into everything—primary relationships, parenting, co-worker and boss negotiations, friendships, neighbors and more. We don't call those person-to-person interactions “sales,” but we are
often exchanging pieces of ourselves for pieces of others, or something they have.
Next week, I will show how this value system applies to everyone, not just to entrepreneurs.
Back to my opening question, how much are you worth?
This week, consider what are you good at, and also what you
really love to do. Be honest as you assess whether you trading at "fair market value," or discounting who you are and what you have to offer.
