We live in a capitalist society and money is undeniably important to our existence. There have been times in my life when I lived paycheck to paycheck, had no savings and no security. Any unseen expense created a crisis. If the car broke down, how would I get to work? Where would the money come from to fix it? Those times were anxiety filled.

 Nowadays I’m much closer to the end of my career than the beginning. I am secure financially and while I may still worry about money at times, I’m in good shape. I am grateful to not be struggling. But, I’ve lived long enough to know firsthand that money does not necessarily bring happiness. When I was young I inherited a large amount of money and was miserable. I self-medicated until the money was gone. Every. Last. Penny.  

 I notice that many people who have moved into our community here on Cape Cod and have built huge homes on bucolic properties seem decidedly unhappy. They spend an inordinate amount of time angrily shooing people away from their property. I can’t help but remember when I was a kid and was allowed to play on anyone’s property and swim at any beach I wanted to. Everyone seemed more happy then. There was a strong sense of community and everyone belonged to it, rich, poor and anywhere in between.

 I like money as much as the next guy, but have come to see it’s not the end all be all. Are we pursuing it at the expense of our health and happiness? Does it consume almost of all of our time? Are we living to work, or working to live? I have been a living to work guy before. I’d work long stressful hours all week then drag myself home and be miserable, exhausted and overwhelmed until Monday rolled around again.

 It is worth self-reflecting on how we spend our time. The truth is, we don’t know how much we have. Who are we spending our time with? Are we sure to put ourselves around the people we love and who influence us positively? Or, do we spend time with people who put us down and are mostly negative? Do we spend most of our waking hours staring at screens? Are we investing time in staying healthy both mentally and physically?

 

Time is the real currency of life. Let’s spend it wisely!