Friday, January 21, 2011

Straw or Candles

A merchant wanted to determine which of his two daughters was more worthy of inheriting his property.  He gave each a coin and said "use this money to buy something that will fill this house."

The older daughter ran to the marketplace and bought straw because it was the cheapest and bulkiest thing she could afford. Even still it was not enough to cover the entire floor of the home. 

The younger daughter walked through the market and took her time.  Finally after a great deal of thought and deliberation she spent her coin on candles.  She took them home, placed one in each room and lit them.  The light from the candles filled the house.

The father looked at his two daughters and said to the older one, "you acted in haste.  You looked only at the obvious solution and showed no creativity."  To the younger daughter he said "you showed patience and true wisdom.  Looking for a solution beyond what was right in front of your eyes, allowed you to see.  You shall inherit my wealth and care for it, for I know you already respect what you own."

The lesson here is that the quickest and most obvious solution is not always the most valuable or best.  Sometimes it is better to step back and look at a situation with creative eyes. 

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