When it comes to money, are you controlled by fear? Do you underestimate your worth? Are you ready to go to the next level, but can't seem to get there? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be an underearner. Underearners are self-saboteurs who don't live up to their earnings potential, says Barbara Stanny, a financial educator, motivational speaker, and career counselor. Whether they make $10 an hour or six figures a year, they tend to live paycheck to paycheck, are often in debt, and have a high tolerance for low pay. Ironically, many work incredibly hard. The good news is that underearning is a self-imposed condition. By focusing on overcoming it, underearners will not only earn what they deserve, but live a richer life. 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. “You are worth more than you are being paid right now and Barbara Stanny knows it! In Overcoming Underearning, Barbara takes you by the hand and helps you earn the money you deserve!” - David Bach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Automatic Millionaire and Start Late, Finish Rich. When it comes to money, are you controlled by fear? Do you underestimate your worth? Are you ready to go to the next level, but can't seem to get there? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be an underearner. Underearners are self-saboteurs who don't live up to their earnings potential, says Barbara Stanny, a financial educator, motivational speaker, and career counselor. Whether they make $10 an hour or six figures a year, they tend to live paycheck to paycheck, are often in debt, and have a high tolerance for low pay. Ironically, many work incredibly hard. The good news is that underearning is a self-imposed condition. By focusing on overcoming it, underearners will not only earn what they deserve, but live a richer life. 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. Barbara Stanny, the leading authority on women and money, is a popular motivational speaker, financial educator, former journalist, and career counselor. She is the author of Prince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money and Secrets of Six-Figure Women . She lives in Washington state. Overcoming Underearning(R) A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life By Barbara Stanny HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2007 Barbara Stanny All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060818623 Chapter One Laying the Groundwork "Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." -- George Bernard Shaw Someday is now How often have you found yourself thinking, "I wish I made more money?" Only to add with a sigh, "Someday . . . maybe someday . . ." Guess what? There is no someday. This is it! This is the day to start turning your vague desire into a deep-seated commitment. This is the day to shift from building castles in the air to laying a solid foundation. This is the day you will start breaking through your barriers and bolster your earnings. The spill-over effect It would be wonderful if, upon reading this book, you went straight into making six figures. And that may happen. Or not. Some of you may already be making six figures and still be underearning. I see it all the time -- people who are professionally successful, yet financially strapped. Earning six figures is not a sure sign you've reached your earning potential. Nor is it the intent of this book. The real purpose is to help you achieve financial independence. Life as an underearner is not a lot of fun. Being underpaid is frustrating, at best, and often debilitating. Underearning limits your choices, your freedom, your peace of mind, and your quality of life. Maybe you can't make six figures, at least not right away. But you can make more than you're making now. And you can do it without selling your soul, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. And it won't be just your bank account that benefits. In these pages you will meet people who ended up with far more than material wealth. "My whole life has changed substantially," massage therapist Cheri Schell declared during our follow-up interview. Within six months after taking the Overcoming Underearning? workshop, she had increased her income by 20 percent, cut her hours "way back," lost twenty-three pounds, stopped using credit cards, started saving, moved to a nicer office, redecorated her home, saw her marriage improve, and had more time to herself. "I'm making more, working less, feeling healthier, have more energy, and I'm so much happier." Cheri was not an exception. I was amazed how many reported significant changes in all areas of their lives. Aside