You’re Being Selfish: Mary’s Story Part 3

Mary was jolted awake suddenly at 4am from a bad dream and realized she had only been asleep for an hour. The last few weeks Mary hasn’t been sleeping well the reality of her business and it’s lack of income has really taken it’s toll on her and she’s losing sleep over all the worry, stress and turmoil.

Mary decides to get up, brew a pot of coffee, and officially start the day earlier than she planned. As the coffee percolates Mary sits down at her kitchen table and begins to write in her journal.

She writes about how she can’t understand how she can be making such a profound effect on other people’s lives but still not be earning a good, let alone great income. She thinks about how hard she is working and all the value she’s providing to her clients and her business but she’s feeling worn-out and tired every single day.

She vents on the pages of her journal on how she knows she’s talented at what she does and she knows the results and transformations she sees through her work – but why isn’t it working for her? Why isn’t she succeeding the way she thought she would?

Mary then begins to get angry on the pages as she thinks about all that she gave up with her corporate career and how she has had to forgo all the beautiful things she once had as a result of her six-figure salary. Mary writes about how she feels ripped-off and angry that she has to sacrifice so much of herself in order to do work that is meaningful and worthy.

She writes in big capital letters on the page: Why can’t I have it all? Why do I have to sacrifice a beautiful life and life-style in order to do work I love and have more control over my time?

Mary then gets up, grabs her mug and pours her coffee and looks out the window. She begins to think about the statement that she just put down on the page.

Why can’t she have it all? She certainly helps her clients see all their amazing potential and begins to see the irony in what she’s doing she’s helping her own clients value themselves, and live-out their dreams and make more money in their own businesses why isn’t she doing this for herself?

As Mary ponders the thought a voice in her head begins to toy with her emotions and it’s a voice that washes her over with immense fear, guilt and plain doubt.

The voice is familiar at it tells Mary how selfish it would be to change anything in her business- what would people think if she began to really step-out and charge more for what she does? Who does she is to try to profit from work that truly helps people? What would people think?

Mary knows the voice all too well as she coaches many a client on how to notice, deal with, and manage the inner critic but she sees it very clearly now – when it comes to her own worth and claiming her worth through her business