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Some time ago I ran into a former Geology classmate at a grocery store.
He asked me why I was dressed formally, as geologists are known for boots, jeans and plain shirts. I immediately told him I was from class and explained the business degree I was doing at the time.
After paying for our groceries, we walked to the parking lot where I noticed his exquisite, and clearly expensive, set of wheels. He mentioned that although he would love to do the degree, it is rather pricey and if his employer wasn’t going to pay for it, he wasn’t going to do it.Even though he thinks it will be worth it in the end.
He then asked me how I was paying for the degree and before I could answer him, I congratulated him on his top of the range BMW three series and asked if his employer was paying for it. I also mentioned how pricey it looked. He chuckled and told me he was paying for it himself.
The truth is that the BMW that my former classmate was driving was more than five times the cost of the business degree and although he wanted to do the business degree, the car was more important at the time. Whether we like it or not, we are faced with choices every single day and whatever choice we make represent what we deem important at the time.
Every choice we make is defined by the prices of the alternatives laid out in front of us and what we asses to be their relative cost - measured up against their benefits. Therefore, when we choose one thing over the other, we believe it to be more important than the option we are forfeiting.
On a daily basis, ask yourself which alternative before you is worth more. Purposefully chose those things that contribute towards your wellbeing, growth and vision. Do not take options such as friends for granted simply because you cannot measure them explicitly.
