“You don’t have a problem to solve, you have a decision to make”
I read Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny in 2021. I was making $49,000 annually and although I was a hard worker, I was what Stanny describes as a self-saboteur. This book was foundational in helping me uncover my limiting beliefs surrounding how much I should be earning. 2 years after completing the book, I started making six-figures. With techniques and exercises that have helped thousands of people, Stanny teaches five essential steps to financial independence and brings a message of empowerment to all those who chronically undervalue themselves.
Highlight #1
What have you gotten out of underearning?
In this exercise, I was able to discover that underearning imparted certain values (like resourcefulness and humility). But it also revealed that being underpaid increased feelings of resentment and victimhood.
highlight #2
follow what the doers do.
There’s a difference between doers and dodders (someone who moves slowly or weakly). Doers keep their commitments, “put their oxygen mask on first” by prioritizing self-preservation, and do what they fear.
applied take-away
Do the thing that is most uncomfortable
“Truth, like surgery, may hurt but it cures.” After reading this book, I was able to evaluate my limiting thoughts and actions that went against what I purported to desire most. I grew to understand that demanding what I deserve is crucial to the process of building wealth and a lasting legacy I can be proud of.