Your Voice: Finding one’s self-worth is priceless

During my in-Kingdom vacation last December, I came across a Facebook group called “Trader’s Empire.” One of its posts said, “Why don’t schools teach us stock trading instead of finding the value of X?”

That message came from a stock market guru who amassed a fortune by trading daily. She has no work at all except trading and selling her book related to the market.

I started to ponder. She could be right. Nowadays, almost everything is traded and we need money to buy our food, pay our utility bills, school fees, and health insurance. But how much money do we really need to survive and have a decent living?

Imagine we were taught trading rather than solving mathematical equations. What would the world be like now?

Perhaps our homes would still be illuminated by torches because Thomas Edison was too busy interpreting the candlestick rather than inventing the early versions of the electric light bulb and motion picture camera.

Maybe Aramco would not exist today because Max Steineke was too focused on trading and analyzing moving average convergence/divergence indicators rather than digging Well Number 7.

I thought maybe the investment guru didn’t see the real essence of solving an algebraic expression. Is the equation only asking us to find the value of X, or is it trying to tell us to find our own worth as a person? And just like the equation, the value of X could be positive or negative. Therefore, as it is in real life, it’s up to you if you want to be happy and successful or succumbed by loneliness and failure.

I understand that not all of us are mathematically gifted and most of us find the algebraic expression, “find the value of X” difficult. For those still studying and haven’t found their self-worth in solving math equations, you still have ample time to find the value of your own X — the one that is rewarding and will make you happy.

And for those who have their diplomas yet still struggle to find their own self-worth, maybe this is the right time to reassess and use your past challenges and failures to find what is really fulfilling for you.

As for me, I had found my own value of X in writing. Wall Street might be brimming with the richest people in the world, but seeing my work published here brings me so much happiness and joy. THAT is priceless.

Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of the writer, and not necessarily those of the publication.