The 4 Stages of $tepping into Your Worth 🪺
📸 Autumn Treasures, Justine Anweiler, 2025.
The 4 Stages are the following:
Self-employed = client, prices
Employed = company, salary
1. The Overly Grateful Yes - A client seeks you out, you put together a quote and propose a way of working. They say yes right away. You say yes right away.
🌀 Inner thoughts: “I’m honoured they chose me.”
💰 Money thoughts: “I don’t know the going rate, but I don't want to lose this.”
đź’— Vibe check: Worth is outsourced to their validation.
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2. The Easy Agree - The client suggests how to work together, and you follow because it feels safe and “better than before.”
🌀 Inner thoughts: “This will be great because I know what I’m in for.”
💰 Money thoughts: “I could probably ask for more, but it’s fine.”
💗 Vibe check: Worth is rising, but still dependent on the client’s lead.
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3. The Informed Negotiation - You take the lead after discovering how others charge and structure their offers. So the next time you enter into the discussion of negotiating the terms of your collaboration, you have guidelines, prices, and non-negotiables *
🌀 Inner thoughts: “Why have I been accepting so little?”
💰 Money thoughts: “If they say no, I’ll be fine.”
đź’— Vibe check: Worth begins to root internally. Prioritization of Self, even if it means friction with new or old clients *
*There is a lot of deconditioning here because before you get a worth match, you’ll unmatch with the people you previously attracted.
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4. The Embodied Magnet - You have clear prices, preferred ways of working, and you know your unique value. New clients with a different vibration show up and are ready to receive the magic you offer. *
🌀 Inner thoughts: “I am attracting my people. I <3 mutual respect”
💰 Money thoughts: “I love saying No, because it brings the better Yes’!!!”
đź’— Vibe check: Worth is lived and expressed through your presence and your pricing.
* The space between 3 & 4 is A LOT of unknown. It's the uncomfortable zone where old patterns die off before new opportunities arrive. Most of us would prefer to return to or stay in The Easy Agree (2), but the work is in the "no".
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Article FAQs generated by ChatGPT:
1. Why is the transition between Stage 3 (“The Informed Negotiation”) and Stage 4 (“The Embodied Magnet”) the most difficult yet transformative part of the worth journey?
Because it requires holding one’s value without proof. Between Stages 3 and 4, old clients, dynamics, and income sources often fall away before new aligned opportunities emerge — creating a void that tests emotional resilience and trust in self-worth. This liminal phase is where internalized scarcity patterns are most likely to surface. However, it’s also where true embodiment happens: choosing self-trust and standards over external validation rewires how we energetically, relationally, and financially operate. The “no’s” become portals to integrity.
2. How does the dynamic of “worth is outsourced to their validation” in Stage 1 mirror wider societal conditioning around self-worth and work?
Stage 1 reflects cultural conditioning that ties worth to approval, productivity, or belonging – particularly for women, creatives, and service-based entrepreneurs. This stage isn’t about lack of skill, but about learned dependency on external validation as a safety mechanism. Society rewards agreeableness and gratitude more than boundary-setting, so unlearning this often means confronting deep fears of rejection or loss. Recognizing this pattern helps individuals reclaim agency, realizing that their worth isn’t granted by others but generated within.
3. Why might some people choose to stay in Stage 2 (“The Easy Agree”) rather than continue the journey toward embodiment?
Stage 2 offers predictability, comfort, and belonging – it’s “safe enough.” Moving beyond it demands confrontation with uncertainty and discomfort, as asserting value may initially repel old clients or create temporary financial instability. Many people equate harmony with safety, so the friction that arises in Stages 3 and 4 can feel threatening. However, staying in Stage 2 often leads to stagnation and quiet resentment, while choosing growth invites alignment and creative freedom. The courage to leave Stage 2 is what begins to magnetize truly reciprocal opportunities.