One day, I was glancing at the Wall Street Journal, when 5 words leapt off the page—”The survival of the focused.”

I knew those five words carried a powerful message. A message High Earners understand very well. But one Underearners have failed to grasp.

Financial Success belongs to the focused.

Without focus, it’s easy to get sidetracked by multiple distractions fighting for your attention. But with focus, conflicting objectives cease to control you, making it easier (and less stressful) to take decisive action without second guessing.

I always asked High Earners: “Are you doing what you’re doing for the money?” No, they insisted, quite vehemently. They were driven by the  passion, by the challenge, by the recognition. But not money.

Yet, in the next breath, they all said the same thing. “But I damn well want to be well compensated…because I know I’m worth it!”

Where did their strong sense of self-worth come from, I initially wondered? As a chronic underearner, I wanted what they had. The answer soon became stunningly clear.

They had a simple strategy. Whenever they were asked to do something, whenever an opportunity arose, if their reaction wasn’t a strong ‘Hell Yes!’ it was clearly a “Hell No!”

These women each told me that, initially, they were afraid to speak up and tell the truth. But they forced themselves to ask for what they wanted, just as they said ‘no’ to what they didn’t want.

This simple (but scary) act was the secret to their financial success. Here’s why:

• Asking for more is an act of self-love.
• Saying no is a statement of self-respect.
• Refusing to settle is a show of self-esteem.
• And walking away is a sign of self-trust.

Whenever you stand up for what you want, whenever you refuse to take less than you deserve, your life will begin to change, sometimes dramatically.

You’ll also notice a shift in how you feel about yourself. Speaking up becomes not something you should do, but something you have to do – because you know in your heart you’re worth it.

Where do you need to start speaking up? Tell me about it in the comments below.