I sent the invoice without apologising for the amount

Dear Delyara, That may sound like a small business admin thing. It was much more than that in my body. I have a long history of feeling the need to soften the edges of my own value. Add a smile, explain the labour, reassure the client, make the number feel less sharp, less inconvenient, less likely to make anyone think I’m asking too much. It is exhausting. This week I finished the work, checked the rate, sent the invoice, and left it alone. No extra wording. No little embarrassment folded into the email. No apology for the fact that my time and skill cost money. I felt shaky for ten minutes afterward. Then I felt stronger.