In this solo coaching monologue, the host recounts a weekend retreat at Cascade Lake with Brooks and thanks Kathy for the use of her trailer. While there, a simple trip to buy water sparked an observation: the price of a bottle of water varies dramatically depending on context—home, vending machines, restaurants, sporting events, or remote mountain locations. The host uses this price disparity as an analogy for perceived personal value, explaining that the water itself doesn’t change, only the environment and the need for it do. Drawing on psychological concepts such as contextual value, social comparison theory, the anchoring effect, and self‑worth theory, the host argues that people often internalize external undervaluation, mistaking low external appraisal for low intrinsic worth. The episode then shifts to coaching practice, posing reflective questions about how listeners perceive their own value in work, relationships, and friendships, and urging them to adjust their environments or seek new contexts where their intrinsic value is recognized. The host concludes with a call to action, inviting listeners to connect for personalized coaching to help them recognize and express their true worth.
Chapters
So Brooks and I are taking some time to get away this weekend. We're up at Cascade Lake. Kathy, thank you so much for letting us use your trailer and the property. And man, it's just— it was so nice to just get away. We got a few hours out on the lake. Got to do some fishing and just trolling around, but a lot, a lot of it was just hanging out and just enjoying, enjoying nature and, and working to, you know, working together. And we did do a coaching session. I did a coaching session with Brooks on the first night that we were here just to find out where some of her, you know, where her vision was that she, you know, the direction that she wanted to go and how she supports home life and our business. business and everything else. But we did have to make a stop to go in and grab a few supplies. So we wanted to get some snacks and we're going to grab butter and more water and things like that. And man, I was blown away by the price of water up here. Now, I've done this analogy before with either in some videos or I've used it with my clients before. But it really got me. This trip was a little bit different because I, I did, I stopped to think about how much a simple bottle of water was costing. And it all matters where you're at. So at home, we go down and get 5-gallon water jugs filled up and it's like 50 cents a gallon, right? And so when you look at what that would cost for a bottle of water, it's just pennies. And then if you get it out of a vending machine, it costs just as much as a soda, so it's $1.50. If you go to a nice restaurant, it might be $4. If you go to a sporting event, maybe $5. Man, you go up into the mountains where there's nothing else around, it's like $6 a bottle. It's the same water, same size bottle. But the price on it changes depending on context. And it's not just about economics. There's a psychology behind it. And today we're going to explore how that same principle applies to you and your own value. Once again, think about it. You know, that, that bottle of water, it hasn't changed. Maybe a slightly different label, but for the most part, it's the same label, it's the same volume, it's the same ingredients. They're identical. But the perceived value shifts dramatically. And it's all because of context. When we're back down in the valley, I mean, I am surrounded by options. I mean, not just on bottled water. But on how we get our water. But on a hot summer day out at the lake, or at a sporting event, or in a restaurant, that same water now holds life-saving refreshment. It's not the bottle. It's the need, it's the timing, and it's the setting that is determining its worth. Now, if we take that and we apply that to people, we apply it to you, whether it's at work or in a relationship or even within an established group of friends, you might feel undervalued. But just like that bottle of water, your true value hasn't changed. It's just the environment that's distorting that perception. A while back, I was studying about the psychology of perceived value and how it ties closely to contextual value, which in itself is a theory, and social comparison theory. People assess value not in isolation, but relative to its surroundings. In the professional world, that's why you can have 2 equally talented people, equally talented professionals, And one might be paid or one might be appreciated very differently based on where they work and who's surrounding them. And then you've also got this anchoring effect, and it's our tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information that we receive. If at work you've been underpaid or underappreciated, in a relationship, if you're not seen and you're underappreciated, that becomes your mental anchor. You start believing that's your worth, when in reality it's just the price of the environment that was willing to pay. And that's also the point where self-worthiness or self-worth theory kicks in. Because what happens is people internalize external value and they mistakenly believe, if I'm not being paid more or praised more, I must not be worth more. If my spouse or partner isn't investing in me in this way, Then I'm just not worth it. If my friend group isn't putting in the same energy that I put into it, I must not be worth their time. And that's a dangerous trap, and it's completely false. So, what does this mean for you? How is this impacting you? You know, when I'm coaching someone, and in fact, I've got someone I'm coaching around this right now, one of the questions I've asked and still continue to ask them is, When you think about where you are in that relationship, how do you believe your value is perceived? And I think right now, if you're listening to this podcast and you're struggling with this, you have to ask yourself the question, What impact do I think my environment has on what I see in myself? Like I said a moment ago, if you feel that you're not worth it. That's a dangerous place to be. And it means that you and I need to work together on change. We need to explore how to change your environments so you can fully have your worth expressed. Just like water at a stadium, maybe your full value shows up when the demand and appreciation align. With what you uniquely offer. It also means you need to stop discounting yourself just because others don't see your value. You see, that is their limitation and not yours. Your value is intrinsic and it's based on your experiences, Your talents, your story, and your ability to create impact. So the next time that you feel overlooked or underpaid or underappreciated or undervalued, remember, you're still the same bottle of water. The price tag just doesn't match in that moment or in that space. You know, you don't have to convince everyone of your value. You just have to stop settling for places that don't recognize it, because your value doesn't go down based on someone's inability to see it. It stays the same, just like that bottle of water. I would love to walk alongside you in this because I See your value. Reach out, let's connect, and let's build something together.
