This last week was a bit of a weird one, but as I sit here reflecting, I can’t help but notice the theme of it all. In professional and personal challenges, the message was the same. KNOW YOUR WORTH! We tend to throw this phrase around a lot, but even the most confident of us has to stop and examine if that’s what we are really standing for in handling ourselves and how we allow others to handle us.
For instance, as entrepreneurs, how many times have we allowed customers to get over in some way? Since going all in full time, this has been a considerable challenge. It’s sometimes so easy for us to forget the value we add to a consumer. This is, after all, why they come to us. Y’all, we don’t always have to discount our services/product! We don’t always have to feel obligated to do a friend a favor. I’ve concluded that if they were really our friends, they would not always expect it. If you’re like me, you want to be helpful, but on the same token…. YOU ARE AN ACTUAL BUSINESS, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO TO MAKE A LIVING!! It is well within your right to demand respect for your time AND your money.
While we are on the subject of time, respect for it does only apply to business. We should be just as heavy on it in our personal lives. I can’t express this enough as it pertains to singlehood. My week was a reminder that this is twofold. While we should never allow anyone in our space that is clearly there to waste our time, I think it’s super important that we are sure of what we want before we are the one wasting another’s time. Oh and, clearly, articulate those wants! Ladies, in particular, I know you really, really like the man, but if he has already made his intentions clear and they don’t line up with what you want…it’s OK to exit stage left. All that time you have invested in that stagnant relationship, you can’t get that back. Value yourself enough to set a boundary, stick to it, and know that somebody’s son has time, sis!
Ultimately in all aspects of life, we teach people how to treat us. It starts with how we treat ourselves, and we can’t do that properly until we know our worth. You bring value to the table; act accordingly! Take yourself and your time even more seriously than you expect others to.
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