Owning your value. How does that work?

In my talks, especially when speaking to women in corporate or professional services, I often mention the importance of owning your value so that others can see it as well, for instance those who decide over your promotion or raise. Owning your value is about knowing your worth and that of your work, and ideally getting recognized and paid for it. It sounds plausible and easy enough. But for most, it’s not that easy at all.

So then, what does “owning your value” really mean?

In a professional environment, owning your value is about being aware of your talents, skills, expertise,… anything that you bring to the table that benefits the success of your team or organization, and therefore – at least theoretically – also your own success. It’s also about differentiating yourself with what I call your Distinctive Uniqueness. We can only see your Distinctive Uniqueness when you don’t keep your value and your unique qualities to yourself, but you show them to us; when you embrace them and play full out with them.

But even though it’s critical for others to see and acknowledge your value, owning your value isn’t just about demonstrating what you have to offer. It goes much deeper than that.

When you truly own your value, you know that you don’t have to prove it to others for you to know that it’s there. The foundation for truly owning your value is this deep knowing that you are enough. The understanding that you do not depend on others’ validation to be of value, of worth. Because you already are. You are already complete. There’s nothing missing… even if you don’t fit into the system’s mold of a successful person. You are perfect as you are.

If we could just understand this on a deep level, if we could embody this value, live and experience it, the rest would be child’s play.

Admittedly, some people do this naturally. But for most of us, it can be quite challenging. First of all, we’d need to pause and reflect on this idea. Then we’d grant ourselves permission to feel this intrinsic value, the enough-beingness. Even just taking out time for our beingness (which in the end turns out to be the same as our enough-beingness), interrupting our do-do-do routine, slowing down to sit with ourselves can be a start.

What helps me to get a sense of my intrinsic value is to close my eyes and feel my body from the inside out, to become present, sit and let be. Another way is to go outside, preferably in Nature, and to look up at the trees and the sky and to realize that all of this has been given to me. What a beautiful way to know that I must be of tremendous value.

Try it out. Whatever works for you, is the perfect way. You’re probably wondering how to measure success with this “exercise.” Just observe how it makes you feel. Success is when it feels good.

Enjoy!