What are you worth?

"A human being can not consistently out perform his or her own self image" - Maxwell Maltz. 

I was listening to a motivational speech today and someone mentioned the above quote from Psycho-Cybernetics a book by Dr. Maltz. It surprised me just a little when I heard it because I had just finished listening to that part of his audio book with that quote in it, earlier in the day. And every time someone seemingly randomly quotes something I am currently reading or listening to it lends it more value and credibility because that other person valued it enough to make it a part of their point of view.

What Dr. Maltz is saying with this quote is that it is possible for a person to excel occasionally if they have a low self image, but not consistently. Conversely, at the same time, he is also saying that it is possible for a person with a high self image to do badly, but not consistently.

The speaker that I was listening to today was using this quote to directly relate self worth with yearly income. A person who believes that he is only worth thirty thousand dollars a year cannot consistently make more than that amount. He or she will sabotage themselves and make bad choices such that they will get fired, demoted or in some other way prevented from making more than they believe the are worth.

Such people make excuses and tell themselves half truths as excuses to make it okay to be poor and living in poverty.  They say things like we may be poor but at least we make an honest living or at least we are  following God's will, implying that those with money are liars and cheats that are evil and against God. What ridiculous ideas!

A person who wants to make two hundred thousand dollars a year but believes they are only worth half of that will not make more than 100k a year without changing their self image. How does one do this?

It is remarkably easy to do, so much so that you may not believe it. First you set some time aside and have a conversation with yourself where you ask yourself what you believe you are worth. Then compare the amount you think you are worth, with the amount that you would like to make per year.
Then ask yourself why you are not worth the amount that you would like to be making instead. This may take some time as you may have a lot of reasons. There may be a lot of things that make you think you are not worth it. Make a list of all these reasons. Write the whole thing down, every last excuse or thing that makes you feel that you are worth less than you want to be.

Then burn it to ashes.

Because it is all nonsense. Every man woman and child on this Earth is a priceless precious artifact worth whatever ridiculously high sum they can imagine. Whatever amazing thing you can dream up is but a small fraction of your true worth. Remain humble, but know with perfect clarity that you are worthy of whatever you set your mind to and never again let a question of your worth stand in the way of what you truly want.