Worth, Value, and the Quiet Shift That Changes Everything
For a long time, I used to say something I hear often in entrepreneurial and personal growth spaces:
“Charge your worth. Raise your prices. You’re worth more.”
And lately… that phrase doesn’t fully sit right in my body anymore.
Not because the intention behind it is wrong, but because the framing is.
Because money isn’t actually tied to our worth.
It’s tied to our value.
And those are two very different things.
This distinction may sound subtle, but when it truly lands, it changes how you relate to money, boundaries, leadership, and even yourself.
Worth Is Inherent. It Always Has Been.
Think about a teddy bear.
When it’s brand new — clean, soft, perfect — it’s a teddy bear.
When it’s old…
the fur is worn down,
one eye is missing,
it’s been dragged through life,
loved hard, slept with, cried into…
It’s still a teddy bear.
It doesn’t lose its worth because it’s dirty.
It doesn’t become less worthy because it’s been through something.
For the person who carried it through everything,
it often becomes more meaningful,
not because its worth changed,
but because of the history it holds.
Its worth is inherent.
It exists simply because it exists.
That’s how human worth works too.
Your worth is not created by what you do.
And it isn’t erased by what you’ve been through.
It’s not something you earn, prove, justify, or lose.
And it is not something you charge for.
This Is Where We’ve Gotten Confused
Somewhere along the way, we blurred the lines.
We started tying money to worth.
Pricing to identity.
Compensation to self-esteem.
And that confusion has real consequences.
Because when money is tied to worth:
Pricing feels personal
“No” feels like rejection
Boundaries feel heavy and defensive
Over-giving becomes a way to feel safe
Resentment quietly builds
This is why the phrase “charge your worth” is actually misleading.
Worth has nothing to do with pricing.
Value Is Different — and This Is What We Actually Price
Value is not who you are.
Value is what you bring.
Your experience.
Your knowledge.
Your skill.
Your presence.
Your energy.
The depth of care you bring into the room.
The systems you build.
The way you hold space.
The transformation you help create.
Value is contextual.
It lives in impact, relevance, and outcomes.
This is true whether you’re:
running a business
negotiating a salary
setting boundaries with family
absorbing (or no longer absorbing) shared costs
asking for what you need in relationships
Entrepreneurs tend to feel this tension more loudly, but it’s a human money pattern, not a business one.
Fair Compensation Is Not About Proving Anything
I’ve learned that asking to be fairly compensated isn’t about proving your worth.
It’s about honoring:
your time
your energy
your capacity
and what it actually takes to support other humans well
Because here’s the truth we don’t talk about enough:
When we undercharge, resentment grows.
And resentment has no place in spaces built for growth, healing, or trust.
Fair compensation isn’t about greed.
It’s about sustainability.
Respect.
Integrity — on both sides of the exchange.
Money is energy.
And energy deserves to be treated with care.
When This Shift Really Lands, Everything Quietly Changes
When pricing ~ and money decisions ~ stop being about worth
and start being about value,
something subtle but powerful happens.
You stop feeling the need to convince.
You stop bracing for resistance.
You stop over-giving to feel justified.
Your boundaries get cleaner.
You start making decisions from capacity instead of pressure.
From sustainability instead of urgency.
From clarity instead of fear.
Money conversations feel steadier.
Pricing conversations feel calmer.
Because money is no longer carrying your identity.
Your business, and your life, stop feeling like an emotional extension of you and start feeling like something you can actually hold.
And from that place, growth becomes possible.
Not because you pushed harder.
But because you finally had the space to expand.
What Actually Changes Isn’t Your Worth
Your worth never changed.
It never needed to.
What changes is your relationship to:
money
boundaries
leadership
and yourself
And that shift?
It doesn’t just affect numbers.
It affects how safe you feel making decisions.
How clearly you communicate.
How sustainably you show up.
How much resentment you carry — or don’t.
That’s the work.
And it’s quieter than most people expect.
A Reflection to Leave You With
Where in your life are money decisions still carrying your identity?
And what might shift if they didn’t?