A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked "What is this piece of paper and is it worth anything?" "It is a $20 bill, which can be cashed in international & national markets for it's quoted value?" replied one of the many participants who raised their hands.
The speaker proceeded to crumple up the $20 bill using both his hands until it became a bundle of wrinkled paper. He then unfolded it again and making an unsuccessful attempt to keep it straight he asked, "Would you still be able to negotiate it for it's quoted value?"
" Yes !!" was the echoing reply from the participants.
"Well," he said, "Looks like I haven't done enough! 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, which was now all crumpled, dirty, defaced and not easy to recognize from a distance. "Now will some one like to trade it for its quoted value?" Many hands went in the air.
"I think that piece of currency is still holding its quoted value" replied a participant in an unsure voice. "This bill can still fetch goods worth 20 Dollars" said the other participants. Every one agreed.
"My friends, there is a very valuable lesson in this exercise that we are just through with. It may have appeared to some of you, that I was able to deshape, deface, mutilate & alter the $20 bill during the process as the effects were quite visible".
"However, No matter what I did to this piece of paper, you still upheld its negotiability because you were sure in your mind that my actions did not actually decrease its value. It was still a currency note worth $20".
"Many times in our lives, we feel as though we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and/or the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. It may also appear to onlookers as if it has really happened to a certain extent. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, please remember you never lose your "Value".
You Never Lose Your Value
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2 comments:
Very nice, I like your stories and lessons you draw from them.
I want to mention couple of examples, not to dispute your conclusion but offer another perspective:
1. from personal experience bank notes with even a small ink mark are worth less in former Soviet Republics...
2. Sometimes what is broken, messed up etc is worth more ala deformed/imperfect stamps.
What if he lit the $20 bill on fire and tossed it in an ashtray?
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