We make value decisions every day.
What is a value decision? It is making a choice based on what is important to us.
Watch this video on making a Value Decision below or here.
How do you make value decisions?
Sometimes, like in the story, below the consequences of our choices are all too obvious. Sometimes they are not.
Glenn Adsit and his family spent years as missionaries in China. During the Communist regime change, they were under house arrest. One day a few Chinese soldiers came to their house, and said, “You can return to America.”
The Adsit’s were celebrating, when the soldiers told them, “You can take only two hundred pounds with you.”
Well, they had been in China for years. Two hundred pounds? They found the scales and started the family arguments. Each–wife, husband and the two children–had an opinion. Must have this vase. Well, this is my new typewriter. What about my books? What about my collection? And they weighed everything, took each item off the scales, weighed and re-weighed until finally, right on the dot, they had two hundred pounds.
The soldier asked, “Ready to go?”
“Yes.”
“Did you weigh everything?”
“Yes.”
“You weighed the kids?”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Weigh the kids.”And in a moment, the special vase, the new typewriter, the collections, all of it, became “trash.” Just things.
Taken from Craddock Stories
Sadly, I see that these days what we seem to value is based more on the outward or personality ethic as Stephen Covey called it rather than on character. So we sometimes see parents pushing their children to win at all costs….. We give people importance based on their celebrity status and value to us.
Have we forgotten the value of values? Do read this post from Vidya Sury.
Each of us has to answer this question each time we make a choice? What do I value?
This post is written for the letter ‘V’ for the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014.
I so enjoyed seeing that video. It looks like something we would have seen when I was s kid. I often find myself wondering what people are thinking, or if life has value to many people when I turn on the tv. I am wondering “what happened” that so many are not valuing many, many things. Thanks for this thoughtful post.
Aah yes, these are the times we live in…the outer is more important than what is inside you, clothes make the person not the heart, image is more valuable than the real thing. So much effort goes toward projecting just the “right” image….it must get tiring, I think.
Good story about the missionaries in China 🙂
Beloo Mehra recently posted..W is for Way, Way to Integrate the Spiritual and the Secular in Education
I have a big smile on my face. A huge one. The story shows exactly what is going wrong with us, you know I believe on many of these value decisions. Honestly when you have been at the bad end of losing someone you love your life does start weighing things differently..
Richa Singh recently posted..Weight and Watch
Yes its true our value system has changed .. nice post !
Ananya Kiran recently posted..Women v/s Women
Thank goodness they didn’t have fat kids!
Joyce recently posted..#AtoZ : W for Winning
Superb story making us reflect on what we value! Loved this Corinne!
Aditi recently posted..Loving Vanilla
ha! yes… we refuse to see the actual value of what we have already… and place unwanted “value” on materialistic things..
beautiful video..
Pixie recently posted..The Stalker – conclusion
Loved the story! Just made me realize that I have so much to value!
Pratibha recently posted..Pain Relief Lotion Bars {DIY, Stay Healthy}
N here am thinking how much will I N pheno weigh together 😉
Meena Menon recently posted..An Yummilicious Birthday 🙂
There’s values and there’s values. I suppose it all depends on peoples’ priorities. I know so many people put their families second when it comes to classifying their “must-do”s. That story is lovely.
🙂 So nice we both tackled values for V each in a different way!
Thank you for the mention, Corinne.
Miss you!
Vidya Sury recently posted..Yardsticks
There is a saying in Malayalam which means when you have eyes, you don’t value them. It is the same. We do not value people and things when we have them. We value the opportunities much more than the ones available to us. Great story and video those are.
Rekha recently posted..When Cupid Strikes…
—-Corinne,
It’s almost as if we need to be mindful every single day of our VALUES/Valuing.
In America, we look up to NON-Heroes, Celebrities, Sports Stars…
I see a HERO as “One who changes the world!” Like Mandela! Mother Thresa! Malala!
This is part of our breakdown in Values.
BUT….we can Change!
Xxx
My Inner Chick recently posted..How Making S’mores Is like Writing
Ooh, interesting story. I wonder if they would total the weight between all of the family members, or if in China, children really are just possessions and not family.
Loni Townsend recently posted..Featured Photo Friday
Really liked the story! Beautiful and thoughtful post!:)