When investing in shares on a stock market, the actual value of a company's share, which may be the same as or different to the market value is referred to as the intrinsic value. The market may over or under-value a share but this does not change the intrinsic value. I am not going to confuse you with stock market jargon, and this article is not about shares and investments at all so do read on. In the investment world, value is relative and not absolute most of the time. Interpretation of value is internal to the buyer and cannot be accurately set or standardized, hence different values for a similar item. As art is a form of investment, when a WITS University student used her pocket money to buy the Jane Alexander sculptor "Untitled" for a few hundred rands more than 25 years ago, she had no idea that this artwork would reap her an unimaginable return while simultaneously making Jane the highest selling living artist in South Africa. If one is to look at the piece of art, they may not see the R5.5 million value someone actually paid for it, but to the buyer, it was worth every cent paid. The old adage says beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this is exactly how it played out in this case. This is much the same with every human being. Beauty, let alone value, is never a standard measure equally recognized and appreciated by all we cross paths with. Our inner value is only revealed when we meet with the right people who can see it deep within us. We all are valuable in varying degrees and people see our value differently. To some I am worth nothing and to others I am priceless. The important thing to know is that I am valuable. Sometime back we started out worth just a few hundred dollars in life, undeveloped, unrecognized with little accomplishments. But as we find ourselves and work on our dreams, nurturing them with passion and patience, our intrinsic value slowly increases in the eyes of more and more people. Let us therefore hold on to our dreams until the right time and act on them as we blossom to our full potential and value. Just like the owner of Jane Alexander's artwork held on to the painting until the right time and benefited from not letting go, we should not let go of our dreams but hold on and act on them in due season while realizing our intrinsic value. Sunday, March 23, 2014
Realising intrinsic value
When investing in shares on a stock market, the actual value of a company's share, which may be the same as or different to the market value is referred to as the intrinsic value. The market may over or under-value a share but this does not change the intrinsic value. I am not going to confuse you with stock market jargon, and this article is not about shares and investments at all so do read on. In the investment world, value is relative and not absolute most of the time. Interpretation of value is internal to the buyer and cannot be accurately set or standardized, hence different values for a similar item. As art is a form of investment, when a WITS University student used her pocket money to buy the Jane Alexander sculptor "Untitled" for a few hundred rands more than 25 years ago, she had no idea that this artwork would reap her an unimaginable return while simultaneously making Jane the highest selling living artist in South Africa. If one is to look at the piece of art, they may not see the R5.5 million value someone actually paid for it, but to the buyer, it was worth every cent paid. The old adage says beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this is exactly how it played out in this case. This is much the same with every human being. Beauty, let alone value, is never a standard measure equally recognized and appreciated by all we cross paths with. Our inner value is only revealed when we meet with the right people who can see it deep within us. We all are valuable in varying degrees and people see our value differently. To some I am worth nothing and to others I am priceless. The important thing to know is that I am valuable. Sometime back we started out worth just a few hundred dollars in life, undeveloped, unrecognized with little accomplishments. But as we find ourselves and work on our dreams, nurturing them with passion and patience, our intrinsic value slowly increases in the eyes of more and more people. Let us therefore hold on to our dreams until the right time and act on them as we blossom to our full potential and value. Just like the owner of Jane Alexander's artwork held on to the painting until the right time and benefited from not letting go, we should not let go of our dreams but hold on and act on them in due season while realizing our intrinsic value. 
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Hi Welli; what you say here is so true. I wish you all the best at following your dream. as a blind bloggr and business owner I often find myself inspiring others, so its great to read a post where i get inspired myself. take care, max
ReplyDeleteI salute you Max for you are following your dreams against the odds. If you are able to read my blog before this one (Determination doesn't care) you will see how much I value the efforts you are putting into enhancing the value of your life.
Deletethis was a very nice analogy. You are correct when you speak of people and thier value. the saddest part is when a person does not know what their value is and will settle for things that are below his or her standards. great post
ReplyDeleteVery touching! And it was a wonderful analogy...the key is knowing when that dream has intrinsic value
ReplyDeleteYes, just as art may increase in value, at least to the buyer and seller, we also can seem to become more valuable as we mature.
ReplyDeleteJust ask your family what is your value. It is a good place to start and feed off how they see you. When you do not go after your dreams, you stop living.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, and yet as we go through life it is often hard to keep hold of our dreams. Some of them become unrealistic, so we need to be adaptable and change them. But though out if we do not have belief in ourselves in whatever we do, we will fail. Love life and love yourself. Easy to say, hard to do.
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I was not expecting the twist to the much deeper subject matter. Made for a good Monday morning read. Thanks, Tim
ReplyDeleteNice analogy. Our dreams are a big part of our intrinsic value, who we are.
ReplyDeleteWelli,
ReplyDeleteI think if we believe that all are valuable in varying degrees, do we not risk undervaluing someone? For example, as you've stated there are those who see you as priceless. Does that change your intrinsic value just because others fail to see it? I think not. I think the wise perspective is to realize that we are all highly valuable. Period. Our experience of others bears this out as we get to know them. As a result, we become informed to something we should have known in the first place.
Kind Regards,
Bill
It's really hard at times to see the intrinsic value in oneself
ReplyDeleteAnd you are right Susanna, because we as human beings rely so much on compliments and affirmation. That is why Life Coaches and Motivational Speakers are always talking about keeping good company around you. They realise your intrinsic value and get out more of your value than wrong company would. The irony is not everyone realises their intrinsic value on their own, some only do when everyone else speaks about it and then they start believing it too.
DeleteAgree completely about intrinsic value Welli. Its said that something is only worth what someone will pay for it but that overlooks the present owner who often knows what others have missed.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading about what inspired some of us to start blogging and it is intesting to see how much value has been locked up for years within many people until they realise they have a lot to offer to others. Bill, yes we are always risking under or over valuing people even in our day to day interactions, because we never know their intrinsic value, but the truth is how we value someone does not change their real value.
ReplyDeleteYour point about value being subjective is very true. And of course, one must value himself before anyone values him. I often think about value when writing. Although I believe my messages have value, I wonder how to make them valuable to others.
ReplyDeleteDana I also always go throught that process of value assessment for my readers. That belief you carry that your message has value, means you put in the required effort to make it valuable, and if it is valuable to you, it will be valuable to someone.
DeleteI am an investor and one who appreciate the difference between hard and intrinsic value. I am still working on my own intrinsic value. I sometimes doubt my worth but push past it. I know that if I believe in myself and hold my course, I will reach my desire goals and dreams. Thank you for the analogy and reminder. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell put indeed. My writing dreams have changed over time, but I've never given up on the subject I am most passionate about.
ReplyDeleteOnce you give up on what you are passionate about, what would you become and what would you pursue? Way to go not giving up Jeri, keep at it.
DeleteVery very true. The value of something is only as much as we have in our hearts to give.
ReplyDeleteWe all need the strength to hold on and not give up on our dreams . Your post was inspiring and encouraging.
ReplyDeleteNice analogy between art and dreams. When we are young we spread our dreams over the floor like so many baseball cards. As we get older we tend to put our dreams in a box and open that box with less frequency. Keep opening that box!
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment Kire. And how many dreams in fact never make it to the box. A child wants to fly when young until life teaches them they cannot fly they will fall, and this happens with many other dreams unless one refuses to accept all of life's responses to dreams.
DeleteMy favorite part of this post is "value is relative and not absolute". This is very true for all things and for all people, even for people's dreams. When we are already happy we may dream to pass the time, when things are very bad it may be those same dreams that we need to hold onto.
ReplyDeleteThis article is beautifully written and you made my day!! We all are valuable and have something unique to give! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteWe must be clear about hard and intrinsic values .... I came to know all of us , our dreams are valuable , If we know our value then it will be great help to decide about many things in our lives.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started from start I though it is about stock market and shares... then i saw... "and this article is not about shares and investments at all so do read on." so I did and learned a lot from post... Its nice and valuable post ...