Uy !

The other day, I was talking to a freelancer friend who kept saying she "didn't deserve" the high-paying clients she wanted. I didn't want to admit it din, but it hit close to home kasi I used to think exactly the same way.

Let me share something that changed my perspective completely.

You see, there's this unspoken rule about "deserving" things in life that nobody really tells you about. Ready?

You only truly deserve something if you have:

1. The courage to attempt it

2. The guts to ask for it

3. The willingness to try again when it doesn't work out

Nung una kong narinig to, parang slap in the face. 

Remember that time I told you about losing that huge EDC project? (It was an old email I wrote, but TLDR I let a 7-figure project fall through my fingers) The one where I froze and didn't even respond to their email? Looking back now, I didn't "deserve" that project - not because I wasn't skilled enough, but because I didn't even have the courage to attempt it.

But here's the thing that makes me hopeful. These three requirements? They're all things we can choose to do. They're not about being "worthy" or "talented" enough.

Take one of our tribe members, let's call her Mai. She used to charge $5 per article, thinking that's all she deserved. Then one day, she gathered the courage to attempt higher-paying work, actually asked for $50 per article (major character development!), and kept pitching even after getting rejected 12 times.

Guess what? Client #13 said yes.

Did she suddenly become a better writer? Hindi naman. She just finally met all three requirements of "deserving" it.

So I have a question for you, . What are you telling yourself you don't deserve right now? That premium client? That higher rate? That better work-life balance?

Now ask yourself: Have you actually had the courage to attempt it? Have you directly asked for it? Are you willing to keep trying if it doesn't work out the first time?

Because honestly? You probably deserve way more than you think. You just need to get out of your own way.

Let me know what you're going to attempt next. I'm rooting for you!

Shoden "Deserving Better" San

P.S. If you've been thinking about raising your rates but haven't had the courage yet, reply with "ready to level up" and mag-join ka na sa Freelance Movement Tribe hehe. Kasi andito sa loob yung people that will finally make you realize you deserve the same things. Sometimes all we need is a little push from someone who believes in us. 😊

https://tfmt.ph/tfm2025

https://tfmt.ph/checkout/tribe-return (for those returning)

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends. This REALLY REALLY helps me a lot, thanks!