What does a used car and an iron bar have in common?
Here are two short parables to start your week – and help you ensure that your value and your potential are recognized.
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Here are two parables to start your week
A father told his daughter “Here is a car I acquired many years ago. It’s very old. Before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot and see how much they offer you”. The daughter did and later said, “They offered me $1,000 because it looks very worn out.”
The father said, ”Take it to a pawnshop.” She did and said, ”The pawn shop offered $100 because it’s a very old car.”
The father asked his daughter to go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter did and when she came home, told her father,” Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it since it’s an iconic car and sought out after by many.”
The father told his daughter, ”The right place values you the right way,”
The lesson: If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value will appreciate you. Never stay in a place where they don’t see your value.
Second parable:
- A bar of iron costs $5
- Made into horseshoes, it’s worth $12
- Made into needles, it’s worth $3,500
- Made into balance springs for watches, it’s worth $300,000.
The first parable teaches us to only be where our value is recognized
The second parable suggests that your value is in large part determined by what you make of yourself. That said, I would remind you for that bar of iron to become watch springs required a lot of fire, being hit by hammers on anvils, and time.
So, this week, consider:
If you are currently in the fiery forge or under a hammer, I promise it can get better. If you aren’t feeling valued, then you have at least two choices:
- Seek out the next stage of your transformation
- Seek out some place that sees you more clearly for not just the value you bring today but for what you are capable of becoming
See you next Monday,
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