Valuable Values Vary

“Unity is diverse disciples deciding we can still have dominion despite our differences. Unity is not uniformity.” — Jimmy Rollins

The things we value:

It’s interesting to see what different people like and also how different people value the same things differently.

For example, I recently planned took a trip to Orlando, FL and Charleston, SC for a weekend.

This trip, it was all about the dollars and cents, if the finances didn’t make sense, I wasn’t going to go.

Part 1: Orlando

Orlando was a trip to Universal Studios with Stephen and James who were so generous to gift me the weekend pass that comes with their annual passes. Also, they already had a hotel with two beds, so I slept on the pull-out couch.

Also, I’m flying back into Ft. Lauderdale and we left from Palm Beach — so I took a $3.75 train ride 20 minutes north.

Other people might put a greater emphasis on sleeping in a bed or going to a different park at Disney. My priority was going with good company and doing so at the lowest cost.

Total cost for this trip leg: $90 (food + train ride)

Part 2: Charleston

To get to Charleston, I explored a few options — such as driving back to Palm Beach with my friends and then flying or flying directly from Orlando.

I found a flight from Orlando on Breeze Airways for $50. I bought it. The returning flight to Ft. Lauderdale was $110.

For this leg of the trip, my dad and his wife offered me space in their hotel as well as most of the meals.

Total cost for this trip leg: $165 (+ Dad birthday dinner)

Some people might not want to fly on Breeze, but this is another reason I packed two duffel bags — one for Orlando and one for Charleston. I avoided the $50 carry-on bag charge.

Some people also might not want to be restricted to the exact dates of my dad and his wife, Christine, so maybe they’d buy another night at a hotel.

I had no reason to do these things, I was just along for the ride.

Total trip outlay: $255

This is quite honestly more than I was expecting to spend as my cap was to be $200 but, all things considered, I’m satisfied.

The point:

I say all this with granular detail to emphasize that we all want different things.

Many people wouldn’t want to fly on such a tiny and compact plane or sleep on a pull-out couch.

We could all experience Charleston or Orlando completely differently.

That’s the beauty of uniqueness.

This is important and essential to remember when we are approaching a problem in the home, at the workplace, or… in traffic!

“Everyone has different goals so it would not be fair to myself if I were to compare myself to someone else. Competing — in their mind — might look totally different than competing in my mind.”

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