Why do you deserve money? Well this is a loaded question! It might immediately conjure up other questions. Do I really deserve money? Do some people deserve money and others not? Do some people deserve more money than others? Why should I deserve money when others clearly have even less than me?

In this blog I’ll cover, the meaning of the word, ‘deserve, 15 reasons why I deserve money and tips on how to more easily discover why you deserve money.

How easily can you make a list of 10 reasons why you deserve money?

This was the first ‘to get rich’ homework in Jen Sincero’s book, You Are A Badass At Making Money and here’s the revealing story of why I’m doing this. In all honesty, I didn’t know one reason why I deserved money, let alone 10. I even Googled, ‘why do you deserve money’! I scribbled a few things down, then scribbled them out again, questioning if that was the right direction to go in.

Could this struggle indicate that I have a long way to becoming a money magnet badass?! Maybe. Although I didn’t insist on a list of 10 reasons, when I asked my husband why he deserves money he did not hesitate, saying, “I deserve money as much as anyone else. Why not me? I can do great things with money.” OK… Why was I struggling again?! Could this be why he seems to attract financial success way better than me? It’s probably a strong contributing factor.

The meaning of d-e-s-e-r-v-e

We all see such severe financial disparity on a daily basis that it’s hard to think about being deserving of money. I have felt a mixture of heartache, guilt and frustration when I see heart rending fundraising adverts on TV (especially those related to children now that I am an a mother), when I walk by a homeless person (especially in the winter), or when I pay for a trolley full of food and I see a parent with multiple children with far far less in their trolly than I. The word deserve doesn’t seem right in such very real scenarios. To move on effectively, I reminded myself that the question wasn’t, ‘why do people deserve hardship,’ but why I deserve money.

I looked up the definition of deserve. At first, that totally didn’t help. It’s tied up in worthiness, being good enough, entitlement, reward and punishment, and whether or not you have a right to something. How do you feel about the word deserve? Here are some definitions.

“Do something or have or show qualities worthy of (a reaction which rewards or punishes as appropriate)
“To have earned or to be given something because of the way you have behaved or the qualities you have”
- After all that hard work, you deserve a holiday
- Chris deserves our special thanks for all his efforts
- I hope they get the punishment they deserve
- They certainly deserved to win that game
“If you say that a person or thing deserves something, you mean that they should have it or receive it because of their actions or qualities”

At first, all I saw here was the need to do something or behave in a certain way in order to deserve. In the end I realised my stumbling block with the word, ‘deserve,’ wasn’t that behaviours, actions and thoughts get certain outcomes and judgements (fact) the issue was whether the outcomes and judgements were fair. And that’s a different issue altogether.

Then I saw the word qualities. We all have deserving qualities right? That was a helpful discovery. Of the things we can control, some people do work harder, some people do put more effort in. We all behave in certain ways that give us all different outcomes. The more I learn about the topic of money, the more I realise that people who have more money tend to think and behave in specific ways that aren’t necessarily easy. But this isn’t about passing judgement. This is an internal very personal analysis.

This is about gaining clarity on the fact that I am (you are) a worthy human being that deserves good things and experiences — money is a key ingredient to the good things and experiences I (you) deserve.

I read, reread and highlighted the first chapter in the Jen Sincero book and listened to the audio version. Slowly the answers that were right for me started to crystallise in my mind.

15 reasons why I deserve money

After much deliberation I got there in the end - yay me! I even came up with more than 10 reasons… Below the list, I share my tips on how to tackle this for yourself.

I deserve money because I am worthy of it
I deserve money to help me provide a place of security, wonder and joy for my children
I deserve money so I can satisfy and live out the desires of my heart (Jen says our desires are clues about who we should be)
I deserve money to help me achieve my goals
I deserve money to help me flourish fully through my gifts and talents
I deserve money to help me reach the fullest expression of myself
I deserve money to help me bloom into the best possible version of myself
I deserve money so I can afford all the things and experiences required to live my fullest life
I deserve money so I can be as generous as I feel
I deserve money so I can act upon, do something about and give to the things that matter
I deserve money to satisfy my curiosity, to keep evolving and growing
I deserve money so I can experience more beauty, fun and joy
I deserve money which gives me freedom and options
I deserve money to travel and experience the wonders of this world
I deserve money to help me be content

Of course, I can do many of these things without money. Yes, I can and do experience joy in my everyday. I do provide a place of security, wonder and joy for Marley. I can be generous with what I have.

But the truth of the matter is, all the above are positively affected by money. Money allows me to broaden my experiences which brings more joy and fun. Money enables me to have significant savings for Marley, choose what school he goes to and gives him limitless experiences to learn, grow and experience. Having money would mean I could make a real tangible difference to the lives of others.

And I definitely can’t do some of these things without money. Right now, I am not the best version of myself, I am not living my fullest life and many of my hearts desires are not satisfied.

I love Jen Sincero’s definition of rich.

“RICH: Able to afford all the things and experiences required to fully experience your most authentic life.”

She goes on to say, “While the amount of money you will need will depend on who you are and what you desire, ain’t nobody riding for free. No. Body. We live in a world where, like it or not, nearly everything required in your growth, pursuit of happiness, and self expression costs money.”

So, I’m choosing to believe that I deserve not to shrink back and be small. Contrary to what my life may look like, I am currently living in lack. Lack smothers flourishing, freedom and desire. I could explain away the 15 reasons why I deserve money. I could justify why I don’t need money to have all the things I wrote above, or why it’s perfectly ok to be where I am. But that would be following old patterns and settling for mediocrity. It would be the opposite of brave.

How you can get clear on why you deserve money

Sit quietly with no interruptions (I did this at 5am in a blissfully quiet house)
Think and don’t judge the thoughts (or lack of) that come to you
Write down what comes to you
Take a break if you need to
Work on your understanding of the word, ‘deserve’
Think about who you would be and what you would change, if money was not your limiting factor
Don’t assume that you having money means others must have less or go without

Although this is a challenging task I now believe knowing why you deserve money is an essential foundation for a more financially rewarding future. It sets the tone for how you feel about money. If you believe you are a worthy human being who deserves good things and experiences, and if you know exactly what it is you want and deserve, alongside the impact you could have on the lives of others, then you are on to something good and wholesome. Isn’t it time you stopped to think about why you deserve money?