Have you ever felt worthless, rejected, and miserable? That feeling like the whole world is judging your personality and abilities because they feel superior to you. You may have really felt inferior to the walls around you when you think of it.
Feeling worthless is the worst thing you can do to yourself, really. Especially because of other people’s twisted opinions and self-obsession which you then seem to take onto yourself. However, while many would just say that people’s opinions depend on your output, it’s not really like that.
You see, there will always be those who are not as aware as you are; and there will be those more aware. Accepting criticism from someone that doesn’t know you is like getting directions from a first-time tourist to a place you know too well.
The Parable of a Ring’s True Worth
Once, a man came to a wise man and complained that he felt worthless and that he didn’t want to live anymore. He said that everyone around him said that he was a failure and a fool, and he begged the wise man to help him.
After a quick glance, the wise man hurriedly turned down his plea, explaining that he had an urgent matter to take care of. However, he stopped for a moment and suggested that he would gladly help the man, but only if and after the man helped him to get the urgent matter done.
Bitterly noting to himself that his concerns had been again dismissed as unimportant, the man murmured in agreement to help the wise man out.
Satisfied with the man’s response, the wise man took off from his finger a small ring with a beautiful gem.
The wise man explained to the man that he had to sell his ring as soon as possible to pay off a debt, and instructed him to take a horse and go to the market to sell it. He asked the man to try to get as much
“Take a horse and go to the market. I have to sell this as soon as possible to pay off a debt,” said the wise man. He instructed the man to take as much as he could for it, and no matter what, not to agree to anything less than a gold coin.
The man took the ring and rode away. Once at the market, he started offering the ring to every merchant he came across. They were interested in the ring, but as soon as they heard that he offered it for at least a gold coin, they lost all interest in it.
Some simply turned away, and others even laughed in his face. It was only one older merchant who kindly explained to the man that that price is too high for such a ring. He told the man that the ring was simply not worth so much, and that the most he could get for it was a silver coin, or some bronze.
Having heard this, the young man remembered the wise man’s instruction not to give it for anything less than a gold coin. And even after offering it to over a hundred people, nothing changed.
In the end, he rode back to the wise man and told him that he hadn’t been able to sell the ring, as no one was willing to pay so much for it, although he was aware that the ring was not worth a silver coin.
“Now that’s a very important point, my son!” said the wise man. “Before trying to sell a ring, you should find out what it’s worth! And who can know that better than a jeweler?”
The wise man instructed the young man to go to the jeweler this time and ask him what he would offer for the ring. He added that no matter what the jeweler said, he was not to sell the ring, but come back to him right away.
The young man swiftly rode to the jeweler and asked about the ring’s worth. After carefully examining the ring and weighing it on his scale, the jeweler turned to the young man. “Tell your master that right now I can’t give him more than 58 gold coins. But if he gives me some time, I’ll buy it for 70, to compensate for the wait.”
The young man was shocked. 70 gold coins! He laughed, thanked the jeweler, and headed back to the wise man. The wise men listened to the young man describing what had happened and looked him in the eyes.
“Remember this, my son. You are like this ring – precious and unique! And only a real expert can appreciate your true worth. So why are you wasting your time going to random people to find out what it is?”
It is true: We often let those who cannot be aware of our worth to attribute too little worth to something they don’t actually know. Many times, underestimating comes as a result of ignorance. Don’t let someone’s ignorance be your setback. Know your worth!
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.