Investing Versus Economizing

Photo courtesy of Van Archiquette

How do you invest? More a philosophical question than a financial one; we believe we invest in what matters most to us. Then why are our relationships, families, communities, economies and lives crumbling around us? Is everyone else a bunch of morons? In our secret fears, are we?

I’d like to introduce a different idea. We’ve been duped. At some time, we mistook the finger pointing at the moon for the moon and life became “fight or submit” instead of “stay open and question”. We handed our truths to corporations, religions, popular opinion and our ancestors who formed them out of an array of circumstances and motives.  We learned that good people sacrifice their most precious gifts- love, life, intimacy, for a higher cause.

What have you sacrificed? Why? Did you economize your treasures or invest? In the laws of reality, the further your pendulum swings in one direction, the further you must swing in the other. How many of us indulge chemical, emotional, physical and financial addictions to survive the sacrifice of our humanness? Would we need such excess if we didn’t give up so much of our humanity?

We substitute presents for our time and care. We substitute status for our health. We substitute validation for meaningful dialogue. We substitute acceptance for wisdom. We substitute safety for our most precious gifts, love and emotional intimacy. And now, we have gifts, status, validation, acceptance and safety beyond anything our ancestors had. What’s missing is what makes life precious…time, care, health, dialogue, wisdom, love and intimacy. This Valentine’s Day and as often as you can, I’d like to suggest that you invest in life, humanity and love.