Lovin’ Every Day
When asked, “What is the biggest mistake we make in life?” the Buddha replied, “The biggest mistake is you think you have time.”
A cornerstone of the Walden Roots process is identifying and defining a client’s two core values. Out of the 100 people I have taken through this exercise, 2 have chosen “Time” as one of their two core values in these powerful combinations: time & love and time & adventure.
Could you spot someone who values time in a crowd of people? Probably not. People who value time don’t do things in crowds.
Instead, they do exactly what they want, when they want to do it, with the people they want to do it with, for as long as they feel like doing it. And if no one else wants to do what they want to do, they are perfectly happy going solo. They are often entrepreneurs or sole business owners who can specify exactly the kind of work they do, when they do it, and who they do it with. It is of primal importance that the day be seized, planned or unplanned. This can take the form of a jam-packed vacation or a long, sunny day by the pool with a few close friends; the focus is not on activity, but rather on the power, authority, and autonomy to choose how time is spent.
Time is their currency. And while they need money to live, they would happily trade money for more time, for example, taking a lower paying job that permits ample time off with few restrictions or reducing their daily expenses enough to not have to work at a regular job at all. They enjoy the simple pleasures in the present moment, are highly autonomous and competent, and pursue with vigor activities related to personal growth, connections with others, and physical fitness.
Luke Bryan sings these lyrics every night of his Midwest summer Farm Tour, and they ring true for the people I know and love who value time. “Early in the mornin’ and late in the evenin,’ I’m getting’ red dirt rich, Flint River pay. Huntin’ and fishin’ and lovin’ every day.”
Choosing your two core values is a daunting task. However, once completed it has the ability to bring clarity to so many aspects of our lives while creating a timeless language for discussing why money is important to us. A friend of mine has a poster in his living room entitled “Lifetime in Weeks” –- It has 4000 weeks represented as boxes: every Sunday, he colors in one box to represent another week lived. The result is a startling and humble visual reminder of the time he has left to achieve his life goals.
Could time be one of your two core values?
