Investment is a deep word that can mean so many different things. One of the ways that Webster describes it is "to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something." This thought has monopolized my mind lately...what am I investing in?
Every day we spend time doing things. We go to work, we talk with people, we run errands, we pay bills, we watch tv, we play with our children, and some of us even spend time with God. In the end though we are all investing into those things. The Bible talks about where your treasure is there your heart lies also. We don't invest time & energy into things that we don't have a vested interest in...or do we?
Every day only has 24 hours. We can choose to do what we want with that 24 hours, but typically we let it decide for us. We sleep during this time, we eat during this time, & we work during this time. Some of our decisions are made for us & some are not. At the end of the day though you can feel like a hamster on a wheel working your butt off & going no where fast. The hamster has no investment into that wheel. No matter how much it runs on that wheel it will get nothing back from it. That wheel is simply something to do to pass the time away.
When I honestly stopped & put value to everything in my life I realize how out of balance I can become. If time is money, then what am I putting my "money" into? Am I taking time for my kids & not just time but quality, devoted, "the best part of me not the leftover of me" time. Am I taking time for my wife & romancing her the way she deserves? Am I taking time for extended family & supporting them in their journeys & championing them into their dreams? Am I taking time for...& the list can go on & on? Now for me, my investment analysis is even harder. I invest into the youth of Western Mennonite School every day. I hear their problems, I hear their dreams & I invest my heart & soul into them, but I find myself left with nothing at the end of the day.
Everyone is like a bank account. If all people do all day is withdraw from you, the you will eventually go bankrupt until you refill yourself. We all need to be deposited into to keep a healthy balance. If something is constantly withdrawing & never depositing then you need to evaluate if you need that in your life. Investments yield returns. Some high returns, some moderate, & some low, but returns is a must. Now some investments can be risks where you'll show a loss for a while, but eventually a return on the investment comes. If you have been in a job, a relationship, a friendship, or involved in a hobby for longer than a year & it is still only taking from your bottom line then you need to evaluate your investments.
Now I am not here saying "If someone doesn't add to your life remove them." What I am saying is how much of an investment are you giving them? If I have a friend who sucks me dry & I am spending 5 hours a week with them then wouldn't 1 hour be better & give the other 4 hours to someone or something that deserves that investment? I see too many people going through the daily routine of life & hating every moment of it. I don't understand why they stay stuck in the mud? You hold the cards. You hold the "money" to invest!
Change your investment portfolio. Switch to a low risk, high reward system. Cut the fat out of the budget & give your time to things that give back to you.
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