One day, a young boy asked his father, "What is the value of my life?" Instead of answering, the father handed him a rock and said, "Take this rock and go sell it at the market. If anyone asks for the price, raise two fingers and don't say anything."

The boy went to the market, and a woman approached him. She asked, "How much is this rock? I want to put it in my garden." The boy didn’t say anything and raised two fingers. The woman said, "$2? I’ll take it!"

The boy went home and told his father, "A woman wants to buy this rock for $2!" The father then said, "Now, I want you to take this rock to a museum. If anyone wants to buy it, don’t say a word—just raise two fingers."

The boy went to the museum, where a man approached him and said, "How much for this rock?" The boy didn’t say a word and raised two fingers. The man said, "$200? I’ll take it!"

Shocked, the boy ran home and told his father, "A man wants to buy this rock for $200!" His father replied, "Son, the last place I want you to take this rock is to a precious stone store. Show it to the owner, don’t say a word, and if he asks for the price, just raise two fingers."

The boy then went to the precious stone store and showed the rock to the owner. The owner was astonished and exclaimed, "Where did you find this stone? It’s one of the rarest stones in the world! I must have it! How much would you sell it for?" The boy raised two fingers, and the man said, "$200,000? I’ll take it!"

The boy, not knowing what to say, ran home to his father. "Father! There’s a man who wants to buy the stone for $200,000!" His father smiled and said, "Son, do you now understand the value of your life?"

Moral of the story:

It matters where you decide to place yourself, the people you surround yourself with, and how you choose to carry yourself.

You may have lived your whole life thinking you were just a $2 stone. Perhaps you’ve been surrounded by people who saw your worth as only $2. But every person has a diamond inside them. We can choose to surround ourselves with people who see our value and recognize the diamond within us.

Likewise, we can decide whether to place ourselves in a market or in a precious stone store. We can also choose to see the value in others and help them see the diamond within themselves.

Choose the people you surround yourself with wisely—it can make all the difference in your life.

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