Use Everything in a Worthwhile Way

Use Everything in a Worthwhile Way

“Time is saying to me: Live and make
the most of every moment.”

The Late Dadi Janki

Do we know how to appreciate the things that we have in our life? How much do we take for granted?

Once there was a man who went around saying: ‘I am poor, I am poor.’ There was also a stranger close by and he had been observing this man for some time. Then the stranger said to him: ‘OK, fine. Why don’t you give me one of your eyes? And I will give you… $50,000 for it.’ The man replied, ‘No way!’ ‘OK, I will give you $100,000 for both eyes.’ The man replied again, ‘NO way!’ The stranger continued, ‘Well, then give me your ear for $25,000.’ ‘Absolutely not!’ As the stranger began walking away he turned and retorted: ‘So, that means that you are richer than you think…’

Just stop for a moment and ask yourself: How much is your body worth? How much are you worth as a person? What is the value of your time? Do you know how much your smile is worth? When you look at all these assets that you have and that sometimes you neglect to appreciate, you will then realize that you are not poor at all.

So, when we come to measure the value of things in our life, we are the ones that will put a price tag on them and not others. How much value we put on something depends on how important that thing is to us. And if we really value something, then we will be mindful of how we use that thing and we will take care not misuse it.

Spiritual economy is not simply about saving the pennies, but more about how we are putting to use all those pennies that we save. In other words, to put to good use all the assets that we have. Even a miser has several assets. A miser is not poor, but the difference between him and the economist, is that the economist makes his assets grow for himself and others, whilst the miser keeps them safe in a locker for himself. But the irony is that, often like Scrooge, he neither gets any pleasure from that money and those asset and neither does anyone else.

Economising is not about hoarding for a rainy day. It is not about penny pinching. It is not about false economies; saving a penny and spending a pound kind of a thing. Economising is not avoidance. For example, not going to work in order to save gas! That is really not sensible!

Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay

Economising is about waste, to have the mind-set not to waste things and having that respect for Mother Nature. There are so many things where we can make an effort to make savings. It is not just a matter of money. There are the practical things such as water, food and light, gas and electricity. But then there are also our precious assets such as of time, thoughts, the energy of our mind, our breath, and our physical energy expressed through actions etc. Why do we need to use ten words, when we can use two? Why do we think too much when the decision can be made instantly?

The reason why we try and save our ‘energies’ is so that we can then do the things that we really want to do. So if we save some time here, we can use it there, doing perhaps what we love to do. That is good budgeting and good economy! But if after we save the time or money or anything else, and we do not use these in a worthwhile way, then we are wasting those precious items.

Imagine that life is like poker and we are given all the same amount of poker chips. If we do not bet them then how can we expect to win? If we simply say pass and pack all the time, then there can be no chance of us winning at all. Maybe this decision is made from fear, but then surely there would be no growth in life for us too.

“Open your arms to change, but
don’t let go of your values.”

Dalai Lama

Be careful also of managing your needs versus your wants. Very often we say we need something when we really want it. Here are we not giving birth to greed? And if we are then how much is enough? Can the desires from greed ever be satisfied? The nature of wanting is that one desire gives birth to another and another… desires are forever unlimited.

We are given things in life so that we can create good karma with them. If we waste or misuse them then the karma comes back to us and we run into a loss every time. Our lovely planet provides enough for every one of us. But how much do we use wisely and well, and how much do we waste? When we learn to be respectful and economical with the resources that we have, it will mean that everyone could live happily and harmoniously together.

As Oscar Wilde famously said, and we would do well not to forget his words and to take care not become someone who ‘…knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing…’

It’s Time… to use everything in a worthwhile way.