Your Career Is a Mirror: What It’s Reflecting Back About Your Self Worth
Ever looked at your career and thought, “How did I end up here?”
Or maybe, “This isn’t bad, but I know I’m capable of so much more… so why am I still playing small?”
Welcome to the club. It’s full of brilliant, accomplished humans who somehow ended up stuck in roles, patterns, or dynamics that don’t reflect how powerful and capable they truly are. And spoiler alert: It’s not your resume’s fault.
Your career is one of the clearest mirrors you have. Not because it’s the ultimate measure of success or self-worth (it’s not), but because it reflects back your beliefs—about yourself, about what’s possible, and about what you think you’re allowed to have.
Let’s break that down.
If you’re underpaid, overworked, or overlooked…
It might not be a "you" problem; it might be a belief problem. Somewhere along the line, many of us picked up stories like:
“If I speak up, I’ll rock the boat.”
“I need to prove myself more before I ask for that raise.”
“They’ll see my value eventually.”
Sound familiar?
These stories shape how you show up at work and what you settle for. Even when your talent and potential are screaming “promotion,” your inner dialogue might still be whispering, “Don’t be too much.”
But here’s the thing: You can’t keep shrinking and expect your career to expand.
The way you speak, the boundaries you set, the roles you accept—they all reflect how you see yourself.
Your career is simply echoing the inner dialogue you carry with you into meetings, interviews, and everyday conversations.
Let’s say your mirror (aka your current job) shows you:
You’re constantly the one picking up the slack.
You’re praised for being reliable… but not promoted.
You hold back in meetings even when you know you have something valuable to say.
That mirror isn’t trying to be rude. It’s just showing you where you’re out of alignment with your worth.
The good news? Mirrors don’t predict the future; they just reflect what is. And you have every right (and ability) to change the reflection.
So… how do you shift the reflection?
You start by doing the inner work:
Get clear on the stories you’ve been carrying about your value.
Release the ones that don’t serve you.
Rewrite your narrative so it supports your confidence, clarity, and growth.
Practice using your voice in small, meaningful ways until speaking up becomes your new normal.
That’s where I come in.
I’m Melissa Lorin Treuman, a Communications Executive and Certified Adult Chair® Coach. I help smart, self-aware professionals like you identify the beliefs and patterns that are keeping them stuck so you can stop waiting to be seen and start showing up like the powerful leader you already are.
If you’re tired of seeing the same old reflection in your career mirror and you’re ready for something that actually fits who you are now, let’s talk.
Book a Free 30-minute Clarity Call with me.
We'll explore what's working, what’s not, and where you want to go next. Your next level is ready when you are.
