Time is More Valuable Than Money

 

  

Over the past few years I have been in a real conundrum, thinking about what the best avenue to develop into an individual with true value.  The success of others in their careers has led me into the sort of thinking that is convoluted to what our life's purpose truly is.  Money is an essential part of life in this part of the world.  One night while I was hanging out with my four year old niece we started watching a show about the tiny island of Anuta. What interested me most about this island was the values and principles in which they kept their inhabitants living and loving life.

    

An important value in Anutan society is aropa, which emphasises collaboration, sharing and compassion for others. The concept of aropa encourages islanders to share their finite resources equitably.  The way the Island has sustained itself is somewhat of a modern miracle to science because it has one of the highest population densities in the world.  The working together of all its people has created not a need for mutual funds, investments or the latest and greatest material items. What it has created, is a sense of community and fellowship that doesn't look for a way of escape but rather a way of embracing what Mother Nature herself has provided them.  In order to preserve this paradise that they have created, the Anutan people do not hunt animals and fish because they understand the importance of sustainability.  Their down time is spent enjoying fellowship with one another and smiling at the joys their lives have bestowed upon them.

  

 Please don't get me wrong, the part of the world we live in does not give us the ability to live like the people of Anuta do, but it still does not excuse us from taking lessons from such a humble and happy people.  In order to get the extraordinary out of life we must be willing to embrace the ordinary.  All around us everyday we have so many blessings to be thankful for.  Take a stroll outside and see all the magnificent glories that this Earth is offering and appreciate the people you come across throughout it.  Kurt Vonnegut once said “Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things.”  When we understand that each and everyone of us were not created for greed, hate, envy, jealousy or want but rather for love, sharing, caring, understanding and need our world becomes a much brighter place. 

    

The other day I asked myself this one question "what would I rather someone give me 10,000 dollars or 10,000 minutes.  The answer was much too simple, the value I place on people rather than on materials has given me a much higher perspective.  Like I said from the get go, money is an essential part of the world we live in but it should never replace or overtake time that we spend with those around us.  Listen to what your heart is saying because it is not a stone and it is truly fragile when it is alone.  Are we so caught up keeping up with Joneses that we have no time to get to know them and enjoy their company?  Sometimes the focus needs to not only be on what we have in our bank accounts but, what deposits we bestow on the lives of those around us.  Money can't buy happiness or love but the time you spend with those around you most definitely can.  Always remember that your time is much more valuable than money.

When You Realize

 Anna Trimieux once was quoted with these beautiful words  "If you have something to do, someone to love and something to hope for every day becomes a celebration."  This is one of my favourite sayings but with no disrespect to Ms.Trimieux it can be altered.  If we can learn to change the "If" to when you realize.
   "If you have something to do" you still get up for work and well just go to work.  When you realize that each responsibility comes with a greater purpose, you get to make your mark in this world.   When we realize that everything we do affects all those around us. If we take the perspective that we are more relevant in our lives than we give ourselves credit for,  everything we do would be done with a sense of pride and purpose.  Pride and purpose are two of the biggest defining features in an individual's soul.   Work is not something you have to go to but rather get to go to.   No job is to big or small because you were hired for a purpose and its on you to fulfil that purpose. .  The key is to love who you are, like who you are and you will realize that there is much relevance and excitement in your being.
  "Someone to love" is too negative a connotation for me.  Once again if you were to say instead "when we realize how many people we have to love."   If you can't think of multiple people who love you than you need to look at you.  I am getting married to the person I love the most but it doesn't mean my love is wiped out there.  In my existence in this beautiful world I have been granted the opportunity to be loved by the many individuals I have come across.  Everyday we get to think of individuals past and present with the understanding we wouldn't be standing if not for love.  Love dispels hatred, greed, envy, lust, selfish ambition and replaces them with pure joy.   Love is reciprocal which makes it beautiful, whether its  family members, your friends, or co-workers we have to rejoice because we all have many people to love.
   "Something to hope for" is a great feeling.  There should not be a time without having something to hope for.   Every day I wake up with a smile on my face and thank God for the day that is given to me. Each day we spend more time with ourselves and our thoughts.    If you learn to love who you are and like your own company then you will be hopeful for all the experiences you have throughout the day.  Each second we live is a second of us getting older.  What is there to hope for more than the day we are currently in.  There are so many blessings we get throughout each day, train yourself to be hopeful for each one of them.
   Everyday does have a celebration.  Go to work and make the most of it, take each work day as an opportunity to spend the day with people you love and who love you.  Always take to heart that age wrinkles the face but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
   "When we realize all we get to do, how many people we get to love and many things to be hoping for everyday becomes a celebration"

What is the One Thing No One can Take From You?

   The other day I was driving along to work and someone blatantly cut me off, there was one thing going through my mind......you are not going to take my joy.   In this life we have people who are very eager to get their way even at the expense of others.  So when we experience these people in certain situations we get tense and angry.  What if you started telling yourself that these individuals will not be permitted to ruin your thoughts and feelings?  Imagine how peaceful and happy you would remain.
   I've heard it said that life is short, but in reality life is long just remind yourselves of the the nasty bits such as dentist check-ups, bill payments, tough situations at work, etc.  Now is the time for us to get up and proclaim that no matter what goes on through the day we are going to remain excited and joyful because we know that no matter what happens, how we feel on the inside is dictated by us and no one else.  We lose loved ones, have tough days at work and even get conflicts in our schedules that don't allow us to do what we really want to do.  With all that in mind isn't it better to embrace where you are and let yourself know that you will remain joyful regardless of your circumstances.
    What was Scrooge's biggest problem?  It was that he was so concerned with work and the almighty dollar that he forgot how great the gift of life could be.  I would trade one day of happiness for a thousand days of stressed out I need money type of living.  Its been said look at the birds in the air,  they don't receive a pay cheque every two weeks but continue living everyday chirping away in their own beautiful world.  Next time you are tempted to neglect your true self for what may be swaying you to believe that what you need is more than what is in you, please remember the one thing you have that no one can take away, your joy.
      Life is what you choose to make it.  Ask yourself the question "Am I more important than that person beside me that's why I have to cut them off?"  No matter what comes your way always remember to never lose your joy.  Don't be the person cutting people off either because honestly we are all living the same life and anywhere you need to be is just as important as the individual beside you.

No matter where you are you must be happy

   I was watching an Elvis movie the other day and it was called Kid Galahad.   You may be thinking good for you but I really don't need to know that.   The beginning of the movie started with him singing a song which had a chorus that stated "The poor man wants to be a rich man, the rich man wants to be a king but the man who can sing when he hasn't got a thing is the king of the whole wide world".  Stay with me and you will understand that it doesn't matter what type of vocal chords you have this applies to you.
    With all the awareness that is coming up about mental health and all the struggles that each individual is holding inside these lyrics speak loudly.  Singing is not limited to a voice which is worthy of a top eight finish in American Idol rather an attitude which is willing and able to take life for what it's worth.   We've all heard of 3M innovation but what people don't really think of is the real 3M that we truly do struggle with.  The 3M I'm talking about is marriage,mortgage and money.  There are a few blessed with a harmonious three but many wondering when life is going to go their way.  The question I ask is are you still the king of the whole wide world?
       Credit cards bills are due, rent is coming up faster than you would like and everyone around you seems to have it all together.   The stress is playing on your mind, its like that CD player we use to own where we could put the same song on repeat.  Are you stressing now thinking that life is collapsing or do you realize that its not nearly as bad as it seems?  We live in a place where are attitude dictates how are lives will truly be.  Regardless if you have been dealt a poor hand or have an addiction that's tough to beat there is a way for you make it through and survive.  Trust me this is coming from an individual who had to shower and shave with candles providing light because there was no electricity as well as washing dishes with raindrops falling on my head because the roof had so many leaks; I had to drain up to 20 buckets on a rainy day.
     The 3M we look at is such a struggling point for many.  There is a need for companionship and businesses such as lava life and e-harmony have thrived.  Those without a partners wish for one and those with one spend so much time arguing and regretting the fact they have one.  It doesn't matter what side of the equation you are on, you  must continue to sing.  The standard that life has brought before us is that we must own some land.  Is this what we want or are we following a standard that is set before us?  It is said that money is the root of all evil but we definitely wish we had more of it.  The difference between a rich man and a poor man is a lot closer than we are led to believe.
Have I ever felt like life hasn't given me a fair shake, no because I know that whatever situation comes my way I will be able to keep my head up and handle it.  Just like the man who hasn't got a thing I'm able to sing and believe.  The whole wide world consist of what you experience in your lifetime and you have a choice to give up and say I'm not good enough or say this is my life and I'm going to make it royal.  There was a sign that I read the other day that said "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, the world may be different because I was important in the life of someone I cared about".  We have a choice, embrace where you are at and make the most of it or keep complaining about why you don't have enough.  My choice has been made simple and that is why I am the King of the whole wide world!

You are what you say you are

    In being somewhat of a sports fan I enjoy watching the post game rants of coaches after their team has has lost a game they could have won.  One of my favourite rants of all-time comes from the former coach of the Arizona Cardinals Dennis Green.   After his team lost to the Chicago Bears he goes on a tirade and with anger he says "they are who we thought they were and we let them off the hook, you want to crown them then crown them but they were who we thought they were".  What surprised me about this tirade was the fact  that the coach was so focused on the fact that they failed to beat one of the best teams in the league instead of building up his team he tore down the other one.
    I recently read about a man and his young boy who were on an outdoor adventure when his son had gotten lost.  His son was very scared and yelled out "somebody help me" a voice responded "somebody help me".  Very confused the son then yelled out "who are you?".  The voice responded "who are you?"  Now frustrated the son yelled "You're a moron!" Once again the voice responded "You're a moron!"  Just then his father arrived and was relieved to find his son unharmed.  The son explained the mocking voice to his father who laughed and said son that is your echo.  His father then yelled "You're awesome" and got the response "You're awesome".  The father once more yelled "You can do anything" and the echo gave back that exact response.  "Son that's exactly how life is, whatever you send out always comes back to you" his father explained.
    What we don't realize is that when we go throughout our busy days we are setting up our lives by what we say about ourselves.  When we have exhausted that avenue we tend to want to deflect and attack what we perceive others are lacking to make us feel a little stronger.  The true question then becomes if you go around allowing yourself to believe the truths about yourself such as you are important, talented, more than able, loved, cared for and much more, don't you believe that you will then be willing and able to build up others rather than tear them down?  What we believe about ourselves does have a true ripple effect and it is a positive one.
   Now if I was Dennis Green I would have liked to change my response to something like this "We know what we're capable of but our opponent came out today and got the better of us.  They are a great team but I know that the men in our locker room today are not hanging their heads because they proved that they can play with best of teams today".   Just like that the young son we all have a voice that comes back to us telling us who we are.  We truly are who we say we are so it is truly up to us to dictate whether we become a victim or a victor.

Attitude builds resiliency

There once was a man named Viktor Frankl, his name was taken away and replaced with the number 119,104.  Viktor was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during the second world war.  What is so special about this man is that he left us with this great message "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given circumstances."
This should be a sobering reality to a lot of us who have been to the point where we are complaining about the little petty things life throws are way.  In saying that, a trip to the Nazi's version of death row is nowhere near the level of receiving an unfair grade or being gossiped about by others.  What Frankl's view does leave us with is the ability to understand that no matter what circumstances comes our way we have a choice in how we view them.
Resiliency is one's ability to cope and deal with stress.  In understanding that hardships are a part of life and we can't avoid them, we have to now shift focus and control the only thing we can and that is how we view situations.  Is this an easy proposition, no but it is attainable.  Let us view Frankl mindset through shifting two letters and see if we can gain from it.  These two letters are "im" and "or".
The first of the two is "im" and when we place it after the four letters "vict" we allow ourselves to be in a position more likely to be invited to a pity party in our mind and soul.  Now let us replace "im" with "or" after the four letters "vict" and we see that its a celebration of how we choose to feel no matter what comes our way.  Being a victim is at times a lot easier but in the long run damaging because we are not building resiliency for future trials and tribulations.  Seeing ourselves in the role of the victor no matter what circumstances we face provides us with the knowledge that we have something that can never be taken away, our choice of attitude. 

Choose joy

There is a commercial that I've watched a couple of times during these NHL playoffs by Bud Light.  In this commercial it shows the difference between the guy who says "I'm in" and the guy who says "I'm out". Its obvious who the more responsible one is.  I'm not about to knock having fun but rather embracing responsibility.
The difference between fun and joy is simply this, fun is temporary and joy is everlasting.  Each step we take is a step towards the future and with these steps comes a responsibility for the direction we're heading.  While coming home at four in the morning after an intense night (sometimes) I'll admit is fun, but not so much if you have a seven o'clock shift the next day.  Being aware that we have sort of deceived ourselves into thinking that we can't have the same amount of fun at 11AM as we can at 11PM is where we get stuck.  This is where joy comes in, knowing that we don't have to wait for Friday night to experience the joy of fun.
Do you remember when we were children, say around seven years old?  How was it that we were able to experience such happiness without relying on a crazy night out partying and drinking.  It was because we were content to allow ourselves to enjoy every moment of the day.  What this Bud Light commercial fails to tell us is that "I'm in" is now 35 years old hanging out with a new generation of "I'm in" who are ten years younger.  Eventually the other "I'm ins" had the thought in there mind that the true fun in their life was waking up with their partner and planning a great day with their family because that is where the true fun is.
What I'm saying is that fun is being able to experience every moment of our lives knowing that eleven in the morning can provide as much fun as eleven at night if we allow ourselves to experience the joy of embracing life and responsibility.  Are you having fun? I am because saying "I'm out" has allowed me to have a fresh mind today without thinking wow that night was repetitive(possibly regretful), because we all know after awhile they are.  Let us encourage each other to choose joy because we all know that is where true fun stems from.