I've known these clients longer than I've known my husband. So when they decided my part was the easiest piece to cut, it stung—more than I expected. It wasn't about the budget. It was a choice. Then a colleague I've worked with for decades said one sentence that melted my heart: "I won't work with them if they don't work with you." Here's what she reminded me about how to know your worth—and why generosity and value were never opposites in the first place.

Someone I love deeply put me in a difficult position. For more than a year I waited on something I paid for, something I needed to complete a project involving real people and real timelines. I kept hearing the same promises. Another delay. Another broken promise. I gave grace until something in me got quiet. Not angry. Just clear. I had spent more energy protecting the relationship than protecting my peace. So I had the conversation. The come-to-Jesus one.