Seeing Value Around You

When was the last time you looked for something several times in different places only to return to the first place you looked to find it in plain sight? We all do that from time to time. We overlook what we are searching for. That not only happens with things but also with people.

It is rare to see the qualities of the people around us. It is often easier to see the weaknesses of others rather than their strengths. Seeing their weaknesses impedes their progress and discourages them, while focusing on their strengths inspires them to reach higher and be what they never thought they could be. Why is it so difficult to see the value of others? It could be because we are focused on our problems. It could be because we are disinterested. Seeing what people can become is a gift—a God-given gift!

We all get stuck in life, but the people who make a difference find a way to break the monotony. The “doldrums” is a nautical term that refers to the belt around the Earth near the equator where sailing ships would sometimes get stuck on windless waters. People also get stuck in the doldrums where life becomes too ordinary. When that happens, we will likely overlook the value of people in our lives. What is needed is for people to find a way to make their ship keep moving forward until the wind comes back. In moving our ship forward, we will create our own wind, and others will join, creating even more.

A Sotheby’s sculpture specialist, Elizabeth Wilson, was intrigued by a small bronze figure at a garden sculpture sale in England 1999. It was appraised at $2,000-$3,000 and had been sitting unnoticed in someone’s garden for nearly forty years. As she studied the statue more thoroughly, Ms. Wilson realized it was a piece from Dutch Sculptor Adriaen de Vries, who lived in the 16th century. De Vries’s casting method was rarely used by other artists because the statues could not be reproduced. Each figure was unique unto itself. Wilson had the “Juggling Man” pulled from the sale and placed in a more high-profile auction. A collector then purchased the classic bronze sculpture for $10.7 million.  This is an example of our inability to see the value of people we encounter daily. Still, when we do, amazing things can happen in those lives around us.