What We Value

It reveals how the things we attach value to change over the years.  Some things that once meant everything to us now mean absolutely nothing, and conversely, some things we didn’t value at all come to tell everything in our lives as we grow and values change.  Understanding what is valuable or important to us is a massive part of growing and finding what brings you fulfillment and makes you the most productive human being enjoying life on this planet. Let’s see what things I put into my life treasure chest. They have certainly changed throughout my life. 

Physical Activity

Physical activity was a part of life as vital to me as breathing when I was young. It didn’t matter what time of year, what weather I had to face; I was moving in it.

It was perpetual motion in the summer, from swimming to boating to getting from place to place. I was physically active when I woke up in the morning to the time I put my head on the pillow at night.

Over the years, there was school, followed by a job, and then you had to find time to be physically active. I have gone through weight training and cardiovascular fitness of all kinds, and each time I value the ability and stamina I had as a youth. I love my mobility now and dream of what it was like then. Fitness is the greatest gift you can give yourself. It will improve your enjoyment and quality of life. I make it a priority. Working out is a daily must for me, and I relish making it a part of my routine.  It helps keep me mentally, physically, and spiritually strong.

Friendships

I am mystified by this one because, on the one hand, there are the people I grew up with that I am still friends with to this day.

However, I have met many “friends” in adulthood that are as transient as the weather. One moment they are there for you, and the next one as quick as the sun moves behind a cloud. Friendship seems to be a difficult thing to count on, which is too bad. Present for a season or two of your life and then destined to fade and fizzle out over time.  I have always believed that once I am your friend, I am your friend for life. There aren’t any conditions or behavioral expectations, we are friends, and it is a relationship that will last.

This philosophy has been continually proven wrong, so I value the friends who have been there when things weren’t so great. And those who are around for a short time and then moving along.  I believe wholeheartedly that people enter your life for a reason, often to teach you something. In friendship, like in all things, some have to move along to make room for gathering what you need.  I am glad that I have met so many wonderful people, and they have left such a vital mark. Like spices in the stew, each has added something unique. I am glad to have known them, and I care about you all the same for those that have faded.  The lessons I have learned from everyone have contributed significantly to my life. Whether you are here in my life now or not, I love you just the same.

Family Valuables

Few things in the world define who you are more than the family you belong to. Some people hate their families, but I see us as a collection of unique individuals who move their way.

I make no bones that all of my grandparents, great grandparents, great uncles, and aunts that I have personally known have impacted me. Even though they have all passed away, I carry them with me.  Their voices are recorded in my mind, and I remember how they sounded and what they said.  I also remember what they did, and I was a fortunate and blessed soul because all of my relatives wanted me to be great.

Those that are still here, I love them all as well, even though distances that may be a natural part of life have crept in.  All of us are different, and I appreciate those unique qualities.  There is nothing as valuable as a family because no matter what they say or do, they carry around a large part of the DNA.  Family is something that gains in value over time.

Relationship Valuables

Relationships from long ago,

Mean more to me than they’ll ever know.

From the first time, I saw you smile

to watching you leave after all those miles.

You may not know that this part is genuine,

I have never forgotten my love for you.

These words describe the way I have always felt. I have been accused of overthinking and being too emotional in recent years, which would be a shock, I think, to people who knew me when I was a much younger man.  But I carry my emotions on my sleeve and do not give my heart away very quickly. Once I make a choice, it is done. I have had some bad luck in this realm. Not sI am noting a lot of sound judgment in who I trust with this most valuable asset and who does not count. I have made some questionable decisions.  I hope I have learned the lessons I was meant to learn to advance in life with more wisdom.  Every new beginning comes from another beginning’s end, which is the way of life and relationships. Some are far more fortunate than me, and I am grateful for their happiness. May they appreciate what they have.

Valuables In My Mind

Finally, there are the things I have learned, which I have found to be extremely valuable.  For most of my life, I didn’t understand the value created when you started looking for the answer to a question.  The answers you may never find ultimately, but the information you learn along the way can make life so much more enjoyable.

Some people believe you go to college when you are young and learn, get a job, and put that learning to use.  I’m afraid I have to disagree with this paradigm completely. None of what I was exposed to in college I learned. I mimicked and regurgitated knowledge, but to learn, it has to become a part of you. I have learned more since I turned 43 than I ever learned in life before.

This is not a condemnation of my instructors or the schools I attended but an indictment of myself.  Above all else, what I can learn, contemplate, and understand, are the most significant valuables. The quest to understand myself and the contribution I want to make to the world in a larger sense is vitally important to me and part of the treasure I carry.  We all can contemplate that we will no longer be here at some point in the not-so-distant future, and I wonder, what will my actions have brought into this world?  Only time will answer that question. I am hopeful that the positive will outweigh the negative.

• The value of life is not in its duration but its donation. …
• The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than mere survival. …
• If you genuinely believe in the value of life, you care about all of the weakest and most vulnerable society members.

What do you treasure?