I bargained with life for a penny
By Jessie B. Rittenhouse
I bargained with life for a penny,
And life would pay no more,
However, I begged at evening when
I counted my scanty store.
For life is a just employer,
It gives what you ask,
But, once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menials hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of life
Life would have willingly paid.
When Jessie Rittenhouse wrote the poem above, little did the author know that it would be repeated by Napoleon Hill (in his book Think and Grow Rich), by W. Clement Stone, and countless others.
What An Important Lesson
Many times, you will find that people often settle for a lot less than they are worth when they offer their services to others. With that in mind, I added these follow-up questions to the poem above and e-mailed it to several people I know in the business world.
How much value do you place on yourself?
How much value do you place on your work?
How much value do you place on your experience?
How much value do you place on your education?
Don’t Sell Yourself Short
When you go into business for yourself, you must never forget that your time is worth something. Your talent is worth something. Stores don’t give away merchandise. Why should you give away your services or sell at bargain-basement prices. YOU ARE NOT THE ODD-LOTS of the FREELANCE WORLD!
Don’t under-value yourself. Micro-stock photography houses devalue the work of photographers and freelance wannabees diminish the value of professional graphic artists, content, and copy writers.
DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT!
By Jessie B. Rittenhouse
I bargained with life for a penny,
And life would pay no more,
However, I begged at evening when
I counted my scanty store.
For life is a just employer,
It gives what you ask,
But, once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menials hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of life
Life would have willingly paid.
When Jessie Rittenhouse wrote the poem above, little did the author know that it would be repeated by Napoleon Hill (in his book Think and Grow Rich), by W. Clement Stone, and countless others.
What An Important Lesson
Many times, you will find that people often settle for a lot less than they are worth when they offer their services to others. With that in mind, I added these follow-up questions to the poem above and e-mailed it to several people I know in the business world.
How much value do you place on yourself?
How much value do you place on your work?
How much value do you place on your experience?
How much value do you place on your education?
Don’t Sell Yourself Short
When you go into business for yourself, you must never forget that your time is worth something. Your talent is worth something. Stores don’t give away merchandise. Why should you give away your services or sell at bargain-basement prices. YOU ARE NOT THE ODD-LOTS of the FREELANCE WORLD!
Don’t under-value yourself. Micro-stock photography houses devalue the work of photographers and freelance wannabees diminish the value of professional graphic artists, content, and copy writers.
DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT!
