In life, a lot of people attach value to money. I experienced something some years back that taught me some lessons. I went to a roadside restaurant in the morning to eat, after eating, I was very thirsty so I bought bottled water and drank. Within the day, I followed a friend to pick up something from an estate mall. I got a bit thirsty after walking, so I had to branch into one of the shops in the mall to buy water. The same water I had bought in the morning, I bought it more than twice the price. In the evening, I went to a lounge to meet a colleague, I bought the same water there for almost 5 times the original price. Now, it is the same water, but different prices. This is when I understood that price is measured in currency, but it does not determine the true worth or the true value of something.
Image from [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-dollar-bills-8369777)
Many people make choices based on only the price, but they tend to forget that what matters is the value. Just like the story of the bottled water I shared earlier - the most value I got was when I bought the water at the restaurant because I was very thirsty and was almost choking from the food, so I needed water immediately. However, that was actually the cheapest I got out of the three places. This goes to show that value and worth are more important than price. There are things that I have gotten for free that actually hold more value than the things that are paid for.
You have to look beyond the price of things and focus more on what they are worth. For instance, instead of asking yourself a question like "what is the immediate cost of this?" It will be better to ask "what is the worth of this in the long run?" Take education for example, the tuition fee you pay is the price, but beyond that, the knowledge you acquire, the skills you learn, the opportunities it can unlock both in the present and the future, are part of the value you get from it. If you buy a book for example, it might cost a few thousands in Naira, but the book can actually position you on the part of success, and can positively change your perception of life - this is value.
Being able to differentiate between value and price is a very vital lesson of life. You will be surprised how some people have missed life-changing chances simply because they dismissed an opportunity because of the price tag. That is, they looked at the option and said to themselves "this cannot be worth much because it looks so cheap." I remember when a Senatorial aspirant organised a skill acquisition programme before the last elections. Some people overlooked it because it was totally free. They were quick to knock it off as something that would not be worth their time. The people that took the offer later saw the goodness of the skill. Now, the skill has become highly sought after, which some are now paying heavily to acquire.
Image from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/vat-calculator-accounting-talent-7391848)
If you want to take a decision or make a choice, do not only be concerned about the immediate price, but also ask yourself what the long-term gain will be. For example, when starting a business or making an investment, ask yourself what the long-term profit will be - if it will make you grow. Trust me, there is a step that someone may take and that singular step will open more doors and create bigger opportunities. A lot of people know Apple Inc now and how they are among the top valuable companies in the world. But documentary has it that there was a point it was almost at the verge of collapsing.
During that time, the co-founder; the late Steve Jobs, returned to the company. Many people, even some of the broad members already concluded that it was collapsing and investing in it would be like investing in a failed business. But Steve Jobs looked beyond that, he saw what the company would be worth in the future through innovation and user experience. So he facilitated the creation of iPhone, iPad, iMac, and a host of other products that changed the face of the company. Today, the same company is worth trillions in dollars. If he had given up hope that it will not be worth investing in, he would have lost out on the value it created over time. Always remember that you should always prioritise value and worth, not the immediate price, because they will matter in the long run.
***Thanks for reading***
Peace on y'all
