The Disparity Between Value and Income

Value and Income
FSU fans have been talking for weeks about Jimbo Fisher’s abrupt departure for a $75 million deal with Texas A & M. It’s interesting that a college coach’s annual salary outstrips what most will earn during their entire career. Hear me now – I’m all for financial success and prosperity. Free enterprise is in my blood. Yet I scratch my head when I see the disparity between value and income.

Speaking of blood – I spent some time this week at University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham and met some brilliant doctors who are saving lives and improving the quality of life for countless numbers of people every single day. When you have a loved one who’s ill and you are depending on the professional training of highly skilled medical professionals, the high cost of medical care is not your first concern. The average annual income for a surgeon is $273,922 in the United States. The average medical school graduate carries a debt load of $169,000.

Now consider the folks who breathe life into our future. I refer to educators – teachers who invest their days in patiently feeding the minds and hearts of the next generation. According to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), the average annual salary of a Florida certified teacher is $45,723.

Clearly, salary is not a good indicator of value. It says little about the actual contribution to society and the legacy left by an individual. Most of us, on occasion, have questioned the value of the work we bring to the world. I have learned that money is an important and practical measurement of business success. But it’s even more important to be rich in all the things money cannot buy.

Before we can expect others to recognize our value, we have to own it ourselves. Embrace the value you offer the world. In the comments below, name at least 3 specific ways your work makes a positive impact on others. If you’ve got more than that, keep going.

Don’t devalue the power you have to change lives. There is often quite a disparity between value and income.

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
-Warren Buffett

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