Many of us think of the New Year as a new beginning, new thrills, new perspectives, even new 'dance' partners.
We make all these decrees of how we're going to do this better, and say that better, and buy this differently, or represent self more vividly, we're going to change our courses in life; change the course of our destinies in the New Year.
All of it 'sounds good and for a moment even feels good, but the underlying fact of the matter is that 99.5 percent of these decrees are not carefully planned, meditated on, sought out and never executed.
So on or about March our optimism although still superficially masking this go-getter attitude of changing our destinies is beginning to cast a waning yellowing light, we now know that if we do not hurry and implement some real, visible changes toward our quest for a better more fulfilling life we're looking at the coming summer months somewhat miserably.
God forbid that June, July, and now August has come and the reality that half the year is gone by with us having done nothing even remotely looking like change.
Albeit this entry has not started out on a hoop hoop hooray shout and wave that the New Year is here, with hand holding nostalgia, yet does not mean that I am being a 'Humbug.' So, let's get to where I am going.
Anytime true change takes place it happens inwardly and the express outward show of change is behavior modification. Even before asked, it is already visible that change has come. It's in that determined, focused look and poster that we carry ourselves in that says, "I am here on a mission and please don't bother me with foolishness."
It is visible in the relationships we relinquish or foster, it is in the way we dress, the classes we fight to enroll in or the books we get for our personal and professional development. It's even visible in our dedication to our faith-based foundations. We take note of our investments and here is the meat and potatoes of this declaration.
Our investment…The investment in ourselves. We spend time in salons looking the part. We spend time keeping the company of 'seeming' movers-and-shakers so it appears we too are of the same mind. We invest in expensive transportation and clothing to be considered among the 'serious-minded' players. We invest in everything we 'think' looks good or acceptable for meaningful change and that's exactly what it is...a look!
This time the investment cannot come solely from pocket to the back but from soul to the head. Your investment is every waking moment on developing you. Your investment is in all facets of your life. Intimate relationships with Christ, your family, your friends and (if there) your significant other are investments encouraged and should carefully be prioritized in the development process.
We understand that it is not money that makes us happy for it is no more than a tool used to advance a goal. Nothing more. An investment to financial literacy is something that should not be overlooked nor overstated. Neither should all energies be absorbed accomplishing financial gain when you are ethically, morally and spiritually challenged. Anna Nicole Smith had more wealth than some of us will ever see in 3 lifetimes and to what avail? So let's not get mislead on financial striving.
The major concern with understanding our investment is understanding the most essential aspect of the investment: Our Time.
Time is the only real asset we have. How we expend time determines how we value the investment in ourselves. No matter what you do or where you go, or even who you encounter, TIME is the richest asset given to us and the most wasted; unrecoverable. If one ever wanted to know a surefire way of knowing what the future holds, go stand in front of a mirror and ask the person standing there, "What are you doing today, right now?" This answers your question regarding the future. If you aren't doing anything today, you won't be doing anything in the future. No preparation, no planning, no executing all equals...no change.
Guard your time. You have to conscientiously know how much time you're giving to any one person as well as any project. Do not allow your time to be used up on matters that do not directly feed into your development. If we begin to consider our time as rich, rare, invaluable jewels, we would guard our time just as we would those jewels. We'd have heightened security, set times for viewing and wearing, only worn in the presence of certain company, when traveling they'd only be handled by courier and the insurance alone would be provided by the best investment house in the world. Are we not more valuable than that? Are we not valued more than mere minerals?
The only thing that can be said about both the investment of ourselves and our most precious asset, time, and the value of minerals like diamonds, gold, amethyst, sapphires, and rubies is that they are both uncertain. We don't know what the value of precious minerals will be from one day to the next, so it is with our lives. We have no idea from day to day where it will end.
But this we do know...it will end.
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