I received this following story of lifetime value via a forwarded email almost 15 years ago. I have preserved it for the value it always gave me whenever I have read it. While I can not acknowledge the anonymous writer, I do thank him.

Read on …

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked,  “Who would like this $20 bill? “Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still, the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?”  And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still, the hands went into the air. “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

My notes:

1. Life’s situations often seek to devalue yourself. Situations such as when you are laid-off, lose a contract or a key income source sort of, or forced to live by underselling yourself or dwell on savings or borrowed money; when future appears dim and rudderless –   NEVER BELITTLE YOURSELF! There are numerous examples that prove that your inner strength will raise you above your outward fate.
2. When one telephone call, an email, or a kind word of introduction by a friend or acquaintance may perhaps solve your problems, but people appear to have no time or inclination to extend one. When everyone in the world, including your loved ones, tend to ignore you, insult you, and perhaps write you off as a non-performer, good for nothing or useless. BE PERSISTENT with the hope that your life holds greater potential!
3. In most or all the above situations, your reactive instinct is to do anything to restore what you‘ve lost. That state of mind may also make you blame others for your problems or claim undue value for yourself from others’ good deeds. But STAY MAGNANIMOUS, AS A GIVER!

There is more to your life than what others think of you. Your intrinsic value is your self-esteem (not ego). It is your life. What you stand for. Live it fully, as you will only live once!