True Worth

One day, a student came to his teacher and said, “I feel so worthless and misunderstood. Everyone keeps telling me I’m good for nothing. I get messages and comments saying I’m a failure, that I don’t matter. Sometimes I just don’t know how to deal with it. Can you help me?” The teacher looked at him thoughtfully and said, “I’m sorry, but I have something important to take care of right now. But if you can help me with something first, I promise I’ll make time for you after.” The student sighed, disappointed that he had to wait again, but nodded. “What can I do?” The teacher took off a small gold ring with a stone and said, “Take a picture of this and post it online. I need money urgently to pay off a debt. Try to get the best price you can, but don’t sell it for less than 100 euros.” The boy posted the ad, and soon responses came in. But the highest offer was under 50 euros. Some people mocked the asking price, others doubted whether the ring was even real gold. Since he wasn’t allowed to sell it for less than 100, he returned to the teacher, disheartened.

“I couldn’t do it,” he said. “No one wanted to pay that much. Maybe the ring just isn’t worth it.”The teacher smiled.  “You’ve just learned something important. Before you sell something, you need to know its true value. And who better to assess that than an expert? Go to the jeweler in town and ask what he would offer. But don’t sell it, no matter what he says.” The boy rode to the jeweler, who examined the ring carefully under a magnifier and ran some tests. After a while, the jeweler said, “If you need cash urgently, I can offer you 10,000 euros right now. But if you give me more time, I may be able to get you even more.” The boy was stunned. “10,000 euros?!” He rushed back to the teacher and shared the news.The teacher nodded and said, “You see? You are that ring valuable and unique. But not everyone knows how to recognize your worth. So why let people who don’t truly know you decide what you're worth? Only those who really see you, who understand you, can appreciate your true value.” The student looked at him in silence. And for the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel worthless he felt meaningful.

Food for thought

Surround yourself with those who reflect your true value, not those who try to diminish it.

The people who truly know you are the only ones qualified to remind you of your worth. Your value doesn’t decrease just because someone else can’t see it. Don’t let judgment from people who don’t know your story define your self-worth. The right people will see the gold in you even when others only see ordinary metal. Surround yourself with those who reflect your true value, not those who try to diminish it.