By SE Associate Director, Rachael Hendrix
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 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 onto 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 valuable.”
One of the things many of us struggle with, including myself, is feeling like we are not “worth it”. The world tells us that we have to look a certain way, wear a certain type of clothing, and be super smart to be worth something. Many times we are thrown down and ground into the floor by the things life throws at us. No matter how dirty or crumpled up your life may seem it still has great value in the eyes of God. It is very easy for us to forget how valuable we really are. Here are a few easy ways to remind yourself of your value:
– Stop comparing yourself to others: this is a lot easier said than done but sure is important! God created you to be YOU and no one else! He made you perfect just the way you are.
– Create a list of accomplishments and look at it often: It is easy to focus only on what we need to get done and overlook what we have already done and done well.
– Say nice things about yourself AND MEAN IT: Stand in front of the mirror and give yourself a genuine compliment. Try doing this everyday for a week and you will see a change.
– Celebrate successes: Even the small things in life deserve a celebration. Finding people who can celebrate with you too makes it even more fun.
– Surround yourself with people who are going to support you: This also gives you a chance to build other people up which can be a huge blessing to you as well.
These are just a few ways that we can see our value. God created each one of us to be unique and we each are worth a whole lot to him. What are some ways you like to remind yourself of your worth when life gets rough, or some ways that you can help other people see their worth?