They found it on the floor, outside of the grocery store. Grimy, covered in smut, and forgotten.

JD and Luna brought the dirty penny home.

My husband said the penny looked different. Yea, it’s black, I replied.

Ignoring my daftness, he poured vinegar into a cup and dropped the penny in.

(PLEASE DON’T ASK ME HOW HE KNEW TO DO THIS, AS HE CLAIMS “EVERYBODY” KNOWS VINEGAR CLEANS COPPER…)

He scrubbed the penny and asked me if I noticed a tiny letter under the mint year (1979).

Letter? I see a tiny gold fish, I said.

So I went to my internet Auntie who knows everything (a.k.a. Instagram) and asked if people saw the “D” my husband insisted was there.

Not only did most people see the “D” I got a message from Danielle:

So—of course—I had to share the news because Danielle also sent me another link…

She sent me a link to an eBay listing…

You saw that right…the penny is worth a LOT more than just one cent.

And it got me thinking: What’s sitting in front of us—perhaps covered in the years of neglect—that’s worth a lot more than face value?

• What skill do you have that you claim isn’t special?
• What can you teach that you think anyone can?
• What experience can you share that helps others?
• Maybe you need to show people how to clean pennies with vinegar?!

No, really, what skill of yours is hidden in plain sight that you wish other people saw?

Respond to this note, please.

I want to see your shine, I want to know what’s hidden in plain sight.

Mostly, I want to remind you that your value may be a LOT more than what people may think.

Lucky Pennies, j*

P.S. Speaking of value we sometimes can’t see, today I dropped a special podcast: What I Did in Quarter 2 Review. It shares who I met with, what I tested, things I built, the meetings I had, and the pitched I pitched. The good, bad, and oh-so-awkward. Click >>HERE<<.