Friday, December 16, 2022
One day, this week, I had come down to the lobby of my hotel ready for work a bit earlier than usual. So, I decided to spend some time visiting with the valet, Salvador, who helps me most mornings. I like being around Salvador. See, I have never not seen him smiling. Talking to him always makes me happy.
On this day, I learned from him that he had recently left Uber. He shared with me that Uber had reduced the percentage of each fare that was paid to him. As a result, he made a decision to leave. He told me that his decision was less about economics than it was about feeling like he was being undervalued by the people at Uber. Salvador believed that he was worth more and left to find someone who believed it as much as he did. See what Salvador seems to understand intrinsically is this: whether you think you and your brand have great value or none at all, you’re exactly right.
And that’s the point for the week.
Only we, as individuals and as organizations, ultimately determine our worth. The world is full of people whose primary goal in life is to get something for less and just as many more who believe that they can increase their own worth by cheapening someone else’s. The plain truth of life though is this: those type of people never find what they are looking for. That’s because nothing of value will ever be found at the bottom of anything nor will blowing another candle out ever make one burn any brighter.
Worth is a matter of self-belief. Being worth more starts with believing we are. The converse is also true; the fastest way to cheapen ourselves or our brand is to start believing it is worth less than it actually is or to let others convince us of the same.
Being more, collecting more, and having more are solely and ultimately determined by each of us – first and foremost by what rattles around inside our heads. If we think that we deserve more, we will achieve more. If we think that we deserve less, we will achieve less. Life is, after all, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whether you think you have great value, or none at all, you’re right.
When each one of us wants more for ourselves and for the organizations we belong to, we will have more. It is truly no more complicated than that. If more of us want what we’ve always had, we will have just that. If more of us want less, we can have that too. That is the choice that is before each one of us and our teams as a whole each and every day: to accept more, to accept the same as always, or to accept something less.
I want more for all of you.
I want all of you to refuse to accept any less than that. I want all of you to declare that never should you accept less than what you or the organizations you are a part of are worth then act like it each and every day, day in and day out, by giving more, expecting more, and refusing to accept anything less than more.
When you do, one day you will all have the more that you want. But it starts today, here and now, by refusing to let anyone but you define your worth and by reminding yourself every single day that whether you think you have great value or none at all, you’re right.
So, believe in your own self-worth.
And win.
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