Many people struggle with the feeling they are not good enough, they hold onto the limiting belief their life is worth nothing.
Everyone has “bad” days and experiences the feeling of not being good enough.
I bet you also have had days when nothing went according to plans and you felt worthless.
That’s normal; it’s life with its ups and downs.
Yet, it’s not normal that the feeling of worthlessness - of not being good enough - is part of everyday life.
What is the source of this lasting feeling?
The people we hang out with shape the way we think and believe about ourselves, thus, also how we feel and value our life.
What does it mean?
It means that if you surround yourself with people who believe you are worth nothing, you will believe the same.
It means that if you hang out with people who see the glass half empty instead of half full, you’ll be more likely to be pessimistic than optimistic.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. - Jim Rohn
If you feel you are not good enough, that your life is worth nothing, the following story will wake you up.
It shows that the value of your life changes depending on what type of people you choose to associate with.
STORY - THE VALUE OF YOUR LIFE
One day a young boy asked his father: “Daddy, how much is my life worth”?
The father handed a shiny stone to his son and said:
“If you really want to know the value of your life, go to the market and find out how much this stone is worth first.
If anyone asks you about the price of the stone, don't say anything in reply, just raise two fingers”.
The boy went to the market and followed his father’s instructions.
He was rambling around when, suddenly, an old lady, noticing the stone in the boy’s hand asked him:
“Are you selling the stone? I’d like to place it in my garden. How much is it”?
The boy didn’t utter a word and raised two fingers.
“$ 2”, the old lady said.
Excited, the young boy ran back to his father and said:
“Daddy, daddy, an old woman at the market offered me $2 for the stone.
She told me she wanted to put the stone in her garden”.
The father smiled and said to the boy:
“Now my dear I want you to take the stone to the museum and if anyone asks you for the price, don’t say a word, just raise two fingers”.
The boy then went to the museum. Soon a man in a suit approached him and asked the young boy:
“Are you selling the stone? I’d like to add it to my collection. How much is it”?
The boy didn't say anything and just raised two fingers.
“$200”, the man said.
The boy was surprised that the man offered him $200 when the old woman had offered $2 only.
Full of joy the boy went back to his father and said:
“Daddy, daddy, a man at the museum wanted to add the stone to his collection and offered me $200. What an amazing offer”.
The father smiled for the second time and told his son:
“My dear, the last place I want you to take the stone to is a precious stone shop”.
The boy then went to the shop.
An old man at the counter approached the young boy and said:
“How can I help you”?
The young boy showed the stone to the man who was flabbergasted.
“Where did you find this stone? This is a gem, one of the rarest ones!”, the puzzled man said.
“Would you like to buy it?”, the young boy asked.
“Even if I sell all my precious stones, I wouldn’t be able to afford your stone. It is priceless”, said the man.
The young boy was shocked to hear that his stone was beyond price, and hurried back to his father.
“Daddy, daddy, the man at the stone shop told me that our stone is actually a gem, and it’s priceless”, said the son.
The father looked at his son, smiled, and asked his boy: “Do you understand now how much your life is worth?
The old woman at the market, the man at the museum, and the owner of the stone shop explained it to you”.
He then went on: “In life my dear son, you’ll meet people who value you based on their point of view, their financial status, their level of information, and their belief in you.
But this doesn’t change the fact you are PRICELESS.
So it’s up to you, son, to decide how much your life is worth.
You can choose to place yourself either in a market or in a stone shop.
If you surround yourself with people who value you as a $2 stone, you are likely to end up believing it and your life will be worth $2.
On the contrary, if you surround yourself with people who see your true value, the gem inside of you, your life will be PRICELESS.
So, choose the people who will be part of your life carefully, because they either make or break your life”.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Having people who value you may not be the only factor that determines your success, whatever success means to you.
Yet, it definitely affects how you perceive yourself and how you behave, as research shows.
Thus, it’s up to you!
What are the people you spend most of the time with like?
Do they lift you up, encourage you, or do they drain your energy and bring you down?
Have they achieved the goals you have set for yourself or don’t they even have a goal?
Are they happy when you win in life or are they envious?
“Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher”. - Oprah Winfrey
We often underestimate the importance of the company we keep.
Yet, over time the influence of the people we associate with starts to compound.
If we surround ourselves with empowering people they will support us during the journey towards our goals easing the process.
On the contrary, if we surround ourselves with disempowering people they will hinder us from achieving our goals.
We will end up believing WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
“Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people – people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories”. - Jack Canfield
What will you choose?
Will you place yourself in a market where you are a common stone worth $2 or in a precious stone shop where you are a PRICELESS gem?
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Beautiful Christian and one I needed to read right now.
I know my value but I did start to doubt myself because I am not being supported.
They say be your own cheerleader and absolutely agree but there are times that we all need that support and encouragement, especially if things get tough or even just to input fresh ideas.
Like the story in your post, I know what value I bring and if certain people can’t see that value then guess I need to forget these people and surround myself with people who can inspire me and who we can support each other to grow and develop more.
I love what you shared Christine! Thanks so much. I totally agree with your point.
When we put ourselves in the “wrong” environment and we are surrounded by disempowering people we tend to forget our true value.
Let’s make a commitment to surround ourselves only with people who believe in us and who are willing to lift us up, instead of bringing us down.