The Value Of Values

It's the start of a new calender year. It's a time many think about things that we can do better, or resolve to change in the year renewed. It's usually an exciting time, and it still is simply because of the ritual of it all. But many are a little worried about the new year now at hand.

Understandable. The news at times doesn't seem to be getting better. We're not really used to that. In most of our minds, things go wrong, we fix them and in short order they get better. Sometimes very quickly. The economy and all it's fingers keep stretching throughout our lives, and make us a bit nervous. A great positive out of all this? Now for the first time in a long time most will have to really decide what we really value. What is really important.

It seems it's time to put a value on our values. I'm not sure if I know one person who isn't more aware of the money that they spend, and where, and on whom. And that certainly seems like a good thing. For a long time, many never really thought about those things, but today we do - because of necessity

If you stop and think about it, lots of the things many have had to give up, or cut back on really are not all that important in the first place. For me, life has always been defined by one thing.....the people in my life. The people close to me at home, and at work are sacred. They are always worth the time, money and effort.

I would rather treat a friend or coworker to a nice lunch, than buy something for myself. Or invest in them things that are intangible. Free. I'm glad that's in my DNA. Because a lot of the stuff that we think we need...we really don't. I learned a line from a coworker many years ago. "When in doubt, leave it out." I have found myself saying that silently a lot over the past year. If I have any doubt about something, I wait and revisit it later. Most of the time it gets left out, and the world continues to spin. But all of us need good people around us. A worthy investment.

Learning the value of values. Weeding out the really important from the sort of important, and then the was never really important at all.

I don't need to collect things, buy nine dollar coffee twice a day, drive a call worth more than my house, or live in a house that I can't afford. I need what I think we all need...good people in our lives. The best investment of time, energy and of money I have ever made. Maybe that's the silver lining in this whole money mess. We'll phoenix out of this thing with a new look on our lives that may benefit us and the people in our lives for years. Nice thought! And I'm aware that this doesn't pay the bills, or pad the shrinking savings account. But the returns?

It has always been a bull market.