How I discovered my worth

The photo above is from a brand shoot I did with Shannon Claire in July, 2019. I live in an extremely affluent area in southeast Florida, where the display of wealth and luxury is everywhere. I chose to live here for several reasons, but I remember when I was debating the increase in cost of living from where I was at the time in Orlando versus Palm Beach, I had serious reservations whether or not it was something I could afford.

That was rooted in my limited, scarcity, “survival” thinking pattern.

I remember saying out loud to myself, “I deserve to live in luxury. I want to be surrounded by wealth, abundance, beauty and fine things because it will help me raise my vibration to that level, that deserving, that energy.” But there was somewhat of a disconnect with that desired mindset as I observed my surroundings, the often gross display of absurd wealth and all of my judgement about it.

Ogling a shiny, cherry red Ferrari at Starbucks where the driver could barely reach the drive-thru window. Running into pro golfer Rory McIlroy (not once, but twice) while out shopping. Sitting at a stop light next to a Rolls Royce so huge the side doors dwarfed the roof of my car, and wondering about the shrunken eighty-something driver, whose alabaster wisps of thinned hair fluttered from the slight balmy breeze of a cracked window. Really?

“It’s impossible to open the channels of abundance when you sit in judgement of others who have visibly mastered wealth.”

When I began noticing this knee-jerk thinking based on what I was observing, it hit me: I need to celebrate their accomplishment of wealth, their ability to manifest and bring beautiful luxury and things they want into their experience. Just because their choices to display wealth isn’t necessarily what I would choose, doesn’t mean that I can’t respect and applaud their choice of expression.

Moving to Palm Beach county was the best thing I could have done for myself. Not only is it beautiful, it is inspiring me to step into my abundance more openly and allow. Hiring Shannon to do my brand shoot was another expression of that shift.

One venue for the shoot was Worth Avenue. Worth Avenue is everything the name implies: the highest quality, most expensive brands in the world snuggled amongst the best five-star dining experiences on the southeast coast.

I invested in a new wardrobe for the shoot to help elevate how I felt about myself and what I did for a living. As we worked our way up and down Worth Avenue at 7AM on a Sunday morning that steamy July, Shannon started showing me the previews of the shots on a three-inch display screen of her DSLR camera. They were small images of me on Worth Avenue looking like a fucking movie star. I felt like I was looking at a stranger. The most incredible sensation and emotion came over me: I felt big. I felt important. I felt rich. I felt I like elite high quality. I felt special.

I allowed myself to be in that energy, that state, that sensation for the balance of the shoot. Something shifted. The way I viewed myself, my work, who I was, how I showed up for my clients—all of it, shifted. Almost like I was stepping into the real me.

My “Power Pose” on Worth Avenue

Now this story, this experience I went through when I moved to Palm Beach, is just one turnstile in my journey as a solopreneur. Yes, the shoot was a milestone in how I viewed my worth (get it? Worth Avenue? Where I got connected to my worth?), but what I’ve since realized is that my journey as a solopreneur—and possibly what is going on with you as well—is an ongoing discovery of who I am and allowing my brilliance to be realized by me.

I’m choosing to share this story with you because what I’ve learned is how we view ourselves directly correlates to how we perceive and express our value through what we do for our clients through our business. If we don’t feel deserving, if we have flawed money stories (we sell like we buy), if we don’t connect with and discover our highest value in what we do for our clients and communities through our work, we’ll never experience the fullest expression of who we are let alone allow the full abundance we are promised to flood into our experience.

Hey, I get it. It’s a tough nut to crack. It comes along with a ton of conditioning, psychological mindsets, insecurities etc. But in the end, it is our duty to uncover our brilliance and step into our awesomeness—even if we have to have a high-end brand shoot to force us into that new way of thinking—and realize that we DO deserve. That we DO amazing work. That our gifts and talents DO transform our clients and communities. That we DO have the freedom to charge what we want and invest in a life that is fulfilling, rewarding and fully of luxury, freedom and wealth.

I finish with this one question to you. Where have you stopped the flow of abundance into your life? What things do you say in your head about other’s wealth, luxury and display of gross abundance? What are your stories about what you deserve? Do you see your value? Do you get how you transform others? Or are you in constant “chase mode” and looking for the next opportunity out of a sense of scarcity and trying to manage your future stability and income?

These are all questions to consider, and in the end, here’s what I want to say to you: You are worthy. Allow the incredible, amazing, one-and-only YOU step forward and OWN what you deserve: EVERYTHING. 🍀