So I used to run a successful construction business but last year an accident happened during an assignment & not only did the business go bankrupt but also went into huge debt from all the legal stuff I had to pay off. Sold house, sold cars, sold everything valuable. Now I have a day job which doesn’t pay super well. I have a son and I feel like I’m letting him down, even though he’d never admit it; on the contrary, he always comforts me & tells me he’s happy with what we have. I basically cut off all of my personal expenses to spend the money on him. I feel so bad everyday.
After having gone through a number of setbacks in my life that challenged my self-identity, I realized that I needed to reassess both what I considered to be what made me “me”, and what made me worthwhile, which is similar but not the same.
You are not your job or your salary, and you are worth more than your salary. Find new target for what makes self-worth for you. It will give you better rewards than cash when you strive for them, and will give you a better perspective about money than if you tie your identity and self-worth to how much you can make.