I heard about a speech one time that had a profound effect on me. I would like to share it, along with some thoughts. Enjoy...
The speaker looked out at his packed audience, his eyes slowly scanning the crowd in silence. Then he pulled out a crisp $50 notes, held it up and spoke: “Here is a brand new $50 notes - who wants it?
Hundreds of hands shot up. A slight smile played out on his face as he acknowledged the anticipation. “Well, what if I do this to it?” he said, as he crushed the note into a tight ball in his hand. The same hands remained high. “Interesting.”
“Okay, well, what if I do this as well…” as he sliced several times into the notes with a small pair of scissors he pulled out of his pocket. The same hands stayed up. “And this…?” he continued, as he finally crushed the note, under his foot, rather like one would stub out a cigarette. He continued deliberately, still scanning the crowd slowly, watching their reaction with interest.
He reached down and picked it up. The note was now dirty, torn and rumpled - totally different from how it looked when he first pulled it out. He gazed thoughtfully at the crowd for a few more seconds and then spoke again…
“You all saw me take out this brand new $50 note a few moments ago and you all wanted it. Yet, I have torn it, creased it, damaged it, but every time I asked if you still wanted it, everyone still wanted it, and still does. What does that tell you? It says plainly that you still see the same value in it, doesn’t it? Despite the cosmetic damage, you all know to a person - it holds the same exact value as it originally did. How does this relate to your own worth?”
The audience was silent while everyone thought through how profound his statement was.
“All of us start off pristine - a table rasa, a clean slate. Yet, as we progress through this thing we call life…this short journey in time - we slowly take on damage. But we keep going. We might endure something that feels like it crushes us…but somehow we keep going. Perhaps we feel dirty and torn, shabby and old maybe…but we push forward. We may feel worthless, but deep down a part of us…our deepest, wisest, oldest part…knows we still have the same value. In fact, unlike the $50 note, our value increases over time, because with every bit of damage we weather, we learn more and we can learn to adapt and become stronger - not just for ourselves, but for others too. Sometimes we endure enormous pain to protect and nurture those who depend on us. What could be of greater value than this?”
Know. Your. Worth. You are here for a reason - the universe does not play favourites, even though, on the surface that might seem to be true. The reality is that we get a shot in this life. Everyone does. What we choose to do with that depends largely on what we believe about ourselves and what we think we are capable of. There will always be doubts - good, use them to make yourself better, overcome them and triumph in spite of them. There will always be bullies out to make your life hard, but bullies are gutless, weak people desperate to “prove” the lie they tell themselves - they are somehow superior to you - when the truth is, they are the exact opposite inside. Strength does not need proving, it simply is. It is not loud, it is quiet, enduring, permanent, real.
It usually takes several tries before you become good at the basics. It then takes continuous effort and work to perfect it. This is the price of success, but it is a price worth paying. If you have taken on more hits than you have felt comfortable with, rather than let it overwhelm you, step back, look within. Your past self is still inside - the you that was, and is, before the storm. Remember that person? Ask how they would handle things - they are always there and you have enormous value, despite all the weathering life has thrown at you.
@Taali @Shaz51 @Dimity @DogMan79 @Jynx @Emelia8
- Icaruslanded
