Story: Little Johnny & the 87 Plymouth

This is a meditation wise tale for dealing with feelings of low self worth. In this meditation you'll listen to a wise tale and learn to better value yourself.

Transcript

Welcome,

My name is Daniel and in the next few minutes I'll be sharing with you a story to help you let go of any feelings of unworthiness.

This story may even sound familiar to you as an old wise tale.

This is my small simple adaptation to it.

So take a moment now to observe your surroundings,

Finding yourself in a safe,

Comfortable place,

Somewhere where you can close your eyes for the next few minutes and simply imagine from an outsider's perspective a small story I'm going to tell you.

So in a small town not very far away from where I am,

There was a young man feeling,

Those hard feelings of unworthiness.

He had just graduated engineering school and thought that he could simply go to any company and apply and get all the programs and everything that he would need to do all the inventions that were in his head.

And a few months after graduation he still saw that that wasn't going to quite be the case.

Company after company,

Place after place chipped away a little bit of his pride and his confidence that he had all those ideas and that his ideas were good and that they were worth something and that they would bring innovation,

They would resolve problems.

So one day he was feeling down on himself and he went to see the old mechanic in town.

He was an old friend of his dad's and it was a man that he could talk to and maybe help him pick up a little bit.

So he got in through the front door,

No one was behind the counter at the old man's shop.

So he looked in the back and sure enough there was the old man under another old car.

He said,

Hey Johnny,

What brings you out here?

Unless I remember you're off to the engineering school.

Johnny looked at him kind of down.

The old man could already see it in his eyes.

Well I'm back and I'm back in town.

I've been back in town for a few months now.

I can't seem to find anything.

No one wants my ideas.

And I don't know.

Maybe I'm not what I thought I was.

The old man looked at him and said,

Well Johnny,

That's nonsense.

But I think I have something that might be able to help you out but I need your help with something first.

Johnny grinned at him.

Little excitement came to Johnny's heart since he wasn't feeling worthy of doing anything for anyone.

But he thought maybe for today,

Just for today,

He could help out the old man and in return he would get a thank you,

A pat on the head.

Johnny's little heart was jumping for anything of the sorts.

So Johnny said,

Yeah,

Yeah,

What can I do for you?

The old man said,

You see that old blim of horizon back there?

Johnny said,

Yeah.

Well I kind of don't have much use for it no more.

And I think maybe it's time I found a new home and you could help me out.

So I want you to take that old car down to the auction.

And don't sell it for anything less than $2,

000.

Johnny said,

Okay,

Yeah,

We'll do.

It was still early enough in the morning.

Johnny knew he could make it over to the auction that same day.

Grabbed the keys from the old man,

Got in the car.

Started up surprisingly enough to Johnny.

Said okay.

So he took a temporary tag and drove it over to the auction.

Got around to the auction.

Got a few people looking at it.

Some weird looks.

But he wasn't distraught and set it up.

So this year,

Yeah,

I'm selling it for $2,

000.

You can have it today.

People looked at him.

Even laughed.

They looked,

Look son,

That's an old rust bucket.

That's a 1987 Plymouth Horizon.

Small hatchback.

Old wine colored.

Old vinyl dashboards inside.

Wine colored as well.

Manual.

Nobody's going to want that.

I could take that back to my dealership and it would sit there until the tires fell off of it.

Some more people looked.

Johnny said,

Well,

No,

I need $2,

000 for it.

People said I'd give you $500.

Johnny continued to refuse,

Listening to his old friend.

Listening to the old man back in town.

Finally someone came over.

Said,

Look here boy,

I know you want to sell this for the old man.

I'm going to help you out.

I can give you $700 for it.

But more than that,

You're just crazy.

And Johnny looked at him and said,

No sir,

I can't.

It's not mine.

And my orders are straight.

$2,

000.

Well,

Johnny spent all day at the auction.

Not a single person offered him even half of what he wanted.

So those feelings that he felt the past morning,

The past week,

The past few months,

All coming back to Johnny.

So he got in that car,

Started it up,

And drove it back to the old man.

Getting back to the shop,

He said all that transpired that day to the old man,

Even the $700.

And he said,

Johnny told the old man,

Maybe I'll go back tomorrow.

And if you'll take the $700,

I can find that man once again.

And I'll tell him I would do the $700.

The old man looked at him,

Shook his head a little bit,

And said,

Look here,

Son,

Maybe so.

But let's do one thing.

I want you to go the next town over.

There's an antiques man there.

He has some antique cars and bicycles and bikes and different things.

And see what price he'd put on it.

Tell him I'm needing to sell it.

But do me a favor.

No matter what he offers you,

Even if he does offer the $2,

000,

Don't sell it.

You bring the car back to me.

All right?

All right.

So Johnny went home still feeling a little bit down.

Next day he came back.

He didn't have any companies.

He was going to go check on his resume and to check on an offer.

He thought,

Well,

I'll take the day and go see this old friend of the old man's and see what he'd offered him with this car.

Maybe I'll get the $2,

000 and we'll feel good again.

A little bit of excitement in Johnny and sure enough he went,

Met up with the old man,

Took the car home and took the car all the way to the next town over.

A little bit long drive for that Plymouth Horizon.

Probably hadn't rolled 50 miles in a long time.

Sure enough he went,

Got there,

Met with old man Bobby.

Hey,

Sir.

Bringing here your Plymouth Horizon,

1987.

I was told that perhaps you could help me value this car and figure out how much it's worth.

Old man Bobby said,

All right,

Well,

Let's go take a look at what you got and get outside.

Old man Bobby pulls out his little book,

Starts flipping through a few pages,

Goes to the back of the car,

Sees the emblem,

Sees that old Plymouth emblem,

Chrome bumpers,

Goes back to the front.

He said,

Will you mind popping the hood,

Johnny?

Johnny said,

No,

No,

Sir.

Pops the hood,

Opens it up,

Props it up for him.

Old man looks,

Looks at a few numbers,

Looks at the VIN number on the chassis,

Flips back through his book one way,

Flips back through another.

And this goes on for at least another 30 minutes just outside the car.

He even takes a little bit of time noticing the EFI letters stamped on the motor.

And Johnny just observing.

And so then the old man gets in the car,

Asks,

Can I crank it up?

Like,

Yeah.

Johnny says,

Of course,

Cranks it up,

Sees the dashboard,

Sees glove compartment,

Jots down a few more notes.

Said all right,

And turns it off.

Let's go back inside,

Johnny.

Goes back inside,

Has Johnny sit down.

Can grab your cola there if you like.

I'm going to be right back.

I have to check a few things in the back.

Johnny said,

All right.

So Johnny had a seat.

He was thinking,

Wow,

For a $500 car,

Maybe $700,

He's sure taking his time.

So old man goes back there,

Old man Bobby takes a look through his books and everything.

Does a little bit of research on our old friend Google.

Comes back to Johnny,

Said,

All right,

Johnny.

So old man's needing to sell it,

Needing to sell it today.

I can write him a check for $15,

000.

And I know,

I know that's not what you want to hear.

May not be what he wants to hear,

But it's what I can do today.

If he can wait till the end of the month,

You see,

Another two weeks,

I'll be able to give to him what is worth the full $25,

000.

It's just,

I got to sell off a few things here before I can give him that much.

Oh,

Little Johnny's jaw dropped.

$25,

000.

Yeah,

Yeah,

This is a EFI,

Electronic fuel injected.

One of the first ones,

One of the first Blemeth Horizons made.

With that VIN number,

Only 250 of them were made at first.

You can't find this.

You look from here to California,

You ain't going to find some button selling one.

And it starts and it still runs.

Huh,

It can leak all the oil it wants.

Yeah,

You can fix that,

But you ain't going to find this EFI.

Not nowadays,

But you let him know $25,

000 at the end of the month or $15,

000 today.

Johnny,

Super happy,

Super perky.

Couldn't believe it really.

Got back in that Plymouth and boy,

He drove it like it was a Cadillac.

Got it back to the old man,

Closed the car door so,

So carefully,

Parked it the most beautiful way possible in the old man's garage.

Went back and said,

Well,

You wouldn't believe it.

Old man looked at him and said,

What is that Johnny?

Old man Bobby,

He can give you $15,

000 today,

But if you can wait,

You can wait till the end of the month,

Just a little longer.

He'll give you $25,

000.

Isn't that great?

Old man looked at him and said,

Well,

Johnny,

You still have the keys?

He's like,

Yeah,

Right here.

He toss them to me.

Johnny tosses the old man the keys,

Looks at Johnny and says,

Johnny,

I didn't need to sell that car today,

But you see,

Sometimes it's just to show you something.

Now,

Sometimes you take yourself to the places that they might not know you,

They might not know how to value you correctly,

Like we did for the auction for this car,

And they will give you such a low value and they do it for long enough.

Spend the day there long enough.

You start to believe it,

That it was worth $700,

$500,

Right?

But then you take yourself to a place where they really know how to value people.

Someone that's willing to know your worth,

Ones that spend time,

Spend time getting to know you,

Spend time looking at your ideas,

And they,

They Johnny,

Are the ones that are going to give you the right value and that right value is going to be higher than anything you expect,

10 times higher,

100 times higher.

So don't give up.

Know your worth and allow people,

Only the people that invest in you,

That take their time researching,

Understanding,

Listening to you,

To help you know your worth.

My friends,

I hope that this little story adaptation has kept you entertained.

I hope that you too take the time today to find your worth,

To listen to those that have put in the time,

Sitting,

Listening to you,

That have told you,

You are great,

That you are worthy.

And really take that in and know that they,

They know.

And those that are in the markets out there that try to get a good deal on you,

They can't have you.

Not for $500,

Not for $2,

000.

All right.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day or evening.

Thank you.

Namaste.

Reviews

What a great story. It's so true and I wish I'd known it years ago. Stayed too long at the auction....

Loved this story...

sweet! apprpriate for all. uplifting. positive.I will use this in a meditation group I facilitate. our topic this week is to be self esteeem and self acceptance. Thank you.
Namaste.

Will listen to this again and again. I am not the only one who will benefit from this story but plan to share with my children. I read in the comments how you adapted this story from one your mom used to tell you, what a wonderful gift a mom can give.

Absolutely worth a listen.

Yes. Yes. Just listen to this if you are questioning your worth.

Absolutely loved it. Needed to hear this today!

Thank you, Daniel. Beautiful story. Beautifully told. 😊

I really enjoyed this story. It was engaging, entertaining and has a great message. I think I really needed to hear it, too.

A good message revealed through a refreshing format.

Thank you ! Excellent 😁 🙏

This meant more than you could ever know! My big brother Johnny is in heaven. He whole saled cars for a living, He would always tell me to know your worth! So thank you! Namaste~🌺💙

Lovely one !!!! Thajk you very much !!!

Lovely, well told story with a great moral

Sweet and uplifting

Made me cry tears of relief and hope. Thanks for the story. 🙏🏼💗

Wow. Powerful.
Thank you

Thank you! I enjoyed the gentle kindnesses contained in this story about finding worth.

Sweet! Thank you!🙏