Those are words none of us ever wants to hear. And the choice is obvious! We’d give them our wallet, our watch, our car, hell – we’d give them our CLOTHES too if they wanted them!! No question, right? Our loved ones, our friends, just being alive to see the next sunrise – those are the things that would flash before our eyes in that split second. Not our money or that designer watch. None of that would matter. We would choose LIFE.
So, why don’t we do that in our everyday lives? Why do we so often choose money over what really matters to us?
We are working so hard for all the “right” reasons:
- we want security for our family
- we want our children to go to college
- we want a bigger house
- we want to give our children what we didn’t have growing up
- it’s what everyone else does – it’s just the way it is
But what is missing in the list above? It probably looks pretty much like your list, doesn’t it? But what’s missing? – you are. What about you?
We are so wrapped up in our work, so committed to doing what we are supposed to do, to making that almighty paycheck, that we lose sight of what really matters to us…until something happens. Unfortunately, often, that “something” is not good: a death in the family, someone dear losing their job suddenly, someone else divorcing after years of marriage. It stops us short and forces us to look at our lives.
It’s then that we see what really matters:
- the kids falling all over each other to hug us when we come home from work
- the dog barking, wagging his tail and basically acting like he hasn’t seen us for years
- our partner giving us a loving kiss and asking how our day was
- an evening walk to watch a gorgeous sunset
- the minute or two we take to just be thankful for everything we have
So how do I answer the question, “your money or your life?”
“I refuse to choose!”
I want both. It doesn’t have to be one or the other! I don’t need a catastrophic event to make me stop and reflect. I opt to stop NOW and look at my life and what really matters to me and consciously make the time to nurture those needs. I can still make money and provide for the family (because that is one of my needs too.) But I know that one of the ways I provide for them is to BE with them, laugh with them, play with them and in doing so,
I take care of myself.
So how about you? Your money or your life? – Or BOTH…