This morning, I was reading the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, and “got” something I've never gotten before. It had a very profound effect on me, and thought I'd pass it along.

As the story goes, a man woke early in the morning to go hire workers for his vineyard. The first men he hired agreed to work for one penny per day. After those workers had been laboring for 3 hours, the man observed there were many still unemployed and standing around idle in the marketplace.  He hires the men and tells them to work in his vineyard and he would pay them what was right.

3 hours later, he hires more who were idle in the market, and 3 hours after that he hires some more, telling each to go work in his vineyard and he would pay them what was right.

At the 11th hour, he went again into the marketplace and saw that there were still men standing around doing nothing. When he asked why they were idle, they replied by saying that no one would hire them. So the man invited them to work in his vineyard, promising that he would pay them what was right.

In the 12th hour, when the evening had come and the work day was done, the man rounded up his workers to pay them. Beginning with the first to be hired and continuing to the last, he gave each of them one penny for their efforts.

Those who had been hired first were angry and felt they should be paid more than one penny, saying: “The last men you hired worked for only an hour, but you are paying them the same amount you are paying us. While we were working hard bearing the heat of the day, these others were standing idle in the marketplace and yet we earn the same as the them?”

The man answered by saying:

“Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not agree with me to work the day for one penny?”

After having read the sentence above, I found it difficult to continue reading the rest of the parable. I couldn't help but think, what have I agreed to? And I wanted to ask you, what have you agreed to?

At the end of the day, we get paid what we agreed to get paid. There are two ways we have made this “agreement.”

First, at some point in the past, you agreed with some man or woman how much you would work for. You made that agreement. You are not being held captive or at gun point. You are earning what you are earning because you agreed to earn that amount.

Years ago, when applying for a job at Home Depot, on the application it asked, “Desired Salary.” The first thing that came to my mind was, $10 an hour. But then I thought, what if they'll pay me 12?!

It was af if I was sitting there making an evil plot to trick Home Depot into paying me $12 an hour rather than $10. I was so excited about the prospect of getting $12 an hour, I became giddy and could hardly wait to turn in my application.

A few days later, I got a call from the manager at Home Depot who invited me to come down for an interview. When we got to the part on the application about money, she saw that I had written $12 an hour in the desired salary box, and asked, “Do you feel you are worth $12 an hour?” And sadly, I said yes. I “agreed” to $12 an hour. My self-worth was so low at the time, I sold my soul and threw myself under the bus for $12 an hour! Shameful.

Can you relate?

The other way we “agree” to what we get paid is with our subconscious mind.

There are two numbers we battle with all the time when it comes to money; the amount of money we want to earn, and the amount we feel deep within us that we are worth. With few exceptions, over time the income you earn is much closer aligned to what you feel you are worth “deep down” or in our subconscious mind, than to the amount you hope to earn.

This “deep down” amount is what you have agreed to earn. So at the end of the day, if you see others earning the same as you or even more, and they worked less hours or are less skilled or less likable than you, just remember the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. You do not get paid what you want. You get paid what you agree to get paid, either with yourself or with another person.

For those of you who are employed, what did you agree to be paid when you signed on? And for those of you who employ yourselves, you will find that you are earning round about what you feel you are worth. This is called your financial or success set point. Interesting isn't it?

This is why personal development and working on your mind is so critical. If you don't change, nothing is going to change for you.

Some of the hardest work you can do, is not sweating it out 12 hours a day in a vineyard. It's working on your mind; working to increase your self-image, self-worth, self-confidence, knowledge, skills and discipline. You are the captain of your fate, not your boss, the economy, President Obama, or your mamma!

You are not a tree! If you don't like how things are, you can move! You can change! It's your choice.

Will the exception of temporary dips in life, you earn what you earn because that is what you agree to be paid.

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Tags: Money, Subconscious mind, success, The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard