Once, there was a well-known speaker who started off his seminar by holding up a 20 dollar bill. In the room of about 200 people he asked, "Who would like 20 dollars?”

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give 20 dollars to one of you but first, let me do this.

He proceeded to crumple up the 20 dollar bill. 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 then dropped it on the ground, started to grind on the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty he again said "Now, who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we 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 dollars,” the speaker said.

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.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or creased, we are still valuable to those who love us. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE. You are special - Don’t EVER forget this.

Ends