$20

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a brand-new $20.00 bill and asking, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Of course hands started flying up in the air, and the speaker smiled.
"Alright, I'll give it to one of you, but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the bill, then flattened it out as best he could and held up the not-so-new $20. "Who still wants it?"
The hands remained in the air.
"Okay, then let me do this!" He dropped the bill on the ground and began to grind it into the floor with his foot. After awhile he picked it up and held it before his audience again, now crinkled and dirty, asking, "Anyone still want it?"
Still the hands were in there air.
"How about it I do this?" He held the bill in front of his face and looked at it sternly. "Stupid $20 bill! How come you're not a larger number? Look at your brother, the $50! Why can't you be more like him?!?" Looking back at his audience, he held it up again. "Still want it?"
The hands went up again.
"Anyone want to tell me how much this bill is worth?"
"Twenty dollars!" the audience shouted back.
"Even after all of that abuse?" the man questioned back, spitting on the bill in his hand. The audience nodded. "Alright, then, what if I do... THIS!" He proceeded to rip the $20 into eight pieces. Holding the pieces up for the audience to see, he asked, "Do you still want it?"
After a brief surprised pause, the hands flew into the air again.
"You still want it? But look at it," the speaker protested. "It's not even all in one piece anymore. You'd have to tape it together! Are you sure you still want it?" The hands remained in the air. "How much is it worth?"
"Twenty dollars!" came the reply.
"You have all learned a valuable lesson today," the speaker informed his audience. "No matter what anyone tells you, or what you've been through, you are still a human being and you still have worth. Did you know I did this demonstration once, and I actually lost one of the pieces of the $20 bill? I took it to the bank and asked if they'd cash it for me, and they said that as long as it still has the serial number it's still worth $20."
The speaker found the pieces with the serial number on them, and held them up for the audience to see. "See these four pieces? As long as I have these, I have $20. And as long as you have who you are, you have your worth, too. Hold on to who you are, hold onto your soul, and it doesn't matter how bruised and abused you are, you still have value. Remember that."