Dear Reader,

Several years ago, I wrote myself a permission slip.

It said: You get to be happy.

At the time, I was preparing to ask to be paid three times more for work I was already doing.

And surprisingly, asking for more money wasn't the hardest part.

Believing I was allowed to ask was.

It was around the time I decided to leave my university faculty position.

The owner of my clinical site asked me: "What about us?"

I remember responding: "You would pay me to do this?"

I was genuinely surprised.

I loved the work.

I loved mentoring residents, caring for patients, and teaching.

But somewhere along the way, I had come to believe that I could only do work I loved within the safety of an institution.

And I certainly didn't believe I could be paid well for doing what I love.

For years, I directed a residency program for little additional compensation.

Then I began consulting independently for $75 an hour for twenty hours a week.

Eventually, I was earning $250 an hour for eight hours a week doing very similar work.

Same expertise.

Same woman.

Same work.

The only thing that changed was how I valued myself and how I positioned what I offered.

Many of us have been taught that value comes from hard work.

Work harder.

Do more.

Sacrifice more.

Prove yourself.

Become indispensable.

But what if your value isn't created through exhaustion or what you think people will pay for?

What if your lived experience, wisdom, perspective, and unique way of seeing the world are actually your greatest assets?

I didn't become more valuable. I stopped giving so much of my value away.

And I stopped measuring my worth by how much I carried.

I know conversations about money can feel uncomfortable.

In fact, when I asked to be paid $250 per hour, I was so scared. That's why I needed a permission slip. Was I really going to stand in my worthiness after decades of dismissing it?

I even made a video and shared it with others so I wouldn't back out. Here's a grainy screenshot from that video.

When you've spent years prioritizing everyone else's needs before your own, it's hard to elevate your worthiness, but not impossible.

While I don't believe worthiness and worth are the same thing, often times how we relate to money, reflects how we relate to ourselves.

It shows up in what we are willing to invest in.

Do we trust our desires?

Do we believe our joy matters?

Do we believe we are worthy of support?

Do we believe we can receive as well as give?

These questions are important and why we'll explore them at The Lighthouse Retreat in late August. Did you see my announcement about the new name? Read about it here.

I'm especially excited because my co-host and longtime client, Gale, a venture capitalist who has spent years investing in and mentoring founders, will be leading a session on money.

Through her work, she has seen firsthand that building a successful company isn't just about strategy, intelligence, or execution.

At some point, every founder encounters themselves.

Their beliefs about worth.

Their relationship with receiving.

Their fears around visibility, success, and enoughness.

Because you can only grow a business, career, or life to the extent that you're willing to examine the stories you carry about money, value and being seen.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, healthcare professional, educator, executive, or simply a woman asking, "What do I want next?" your inner relationship with money matters.

Not because money is the goal.

But because money often reveals where we have yet to fully value ourselves.

The permission slip I wrote years ago still feels relevant today:

You get to be happy.

You get to want work that is meaningful and sustainable.

You get to be compensated fairly.

You get to create a life that reflects what matters most to you.

Here's to your worthiness,

P.S. There are some great timely bonuses and early-bird pricing for the Lighthouse Retreat till June 30th. Check out details here: https://www.drswetachawla.com/retreat ​

P.P.S. Missed my last newsletter, read it here.

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