I heard the thought the other day...
Money is not an actual "thing"... it's truly a "concept"...
Money is really "energy"...
I had never heard that thought before, but it kind of made sense.
Money is this concept that man created to increase the efficiency of trading things. Instead of finding the guy that makes the coat, we get a paycheck, and then we go to the store and buy the coat using our money. The guy who made the coat got money from someone completely different... but the exchange still happened.
We all "need" things and "want" things and money is the "thing" we exchange for "things" - and for "experiences"...
But, it got me thinking... beyond money...
ENERGY TRADING...
Isn't EVERYTHING we do an exchange of energy? and for energy?
We listen to music in our cars in order to relax and enjoy ourselves.
We wake up and "spend" our energy all throughout the day in exchange for things that hopefully we find meaningful.
I don't think many people act a certain way - just to receive something in return from someone else.
Life and energy is not about constant bartering... with others...
But isn't it on some level a constant bartering with ourselves?
Aren't we constantly evaluating our "return" on our energy...
Don't we say "I'm tired" at times when what we actually mean... I have been spending energy like crazy and haven't gotten fulfillment back as I expected?
I don't think I am bartering with my energy with other people - meaning I am often not trying to get something back (though often I am)...
But, I am ALWAYS bartering with myself... I am going to work early this morning and mindful that I can't get to workout. I am going to stay late today at work (and in my mind I am mindful of what I am passing up)... And, I do all that I do for some feeling of satisfaction... some feeling of accomplishment... of self-pride... of self accomplishment.
This is why PURPOSE matters. It matters at your place of work - and it matters in all aspects of your life...
Because a CLEAR PURPOSE means that you are deliberately TRADING your ENERGY for something worthwhile...
Without clear purpose on the grand scale or on the tactical scale... there is a sense human beings have of wasting time, of going through the motions... and that feels "wasteful"... And, I am convinced no human being wants to trade their energy wastefully.
We all are in the pursuit of feeling "worthy"...
And, our time is our ultimate currency.
If we don't feel like we are getting a return on our time - we get depressed, angry, or anxious... and we often can't put our finger on it.
We are all in the business of Energy Trading... We ARE!
Money is cool... but isn't our desire for money (once our basic needs are met) in large part driven by our desire for time and for return on time?
There are many studies that show that MONEY (once you make more than enough to have a home and food) is not tied to JOYFUL and HAPPY LIVES...
Because a JOYFUL life - a truly meaningful life - is based on the return on our ENERGY TRADING...
If what we "get" in return for our efforts is "money" and "money" alone - it means nothing...
If what we "get" in return for our efforts is fulfilfment... joy... knowledge... then it means so very much... and "money" is at best a part of that.
I love the idea that today and everyday, I am an ENERGY TRADER...
I am looking for people that can take my investment and increase it...
People, companies, books, content, ideas, organizations, activities... that WHEN I SPEND MYSELF on them... they FILL ME with a sense of accomplishment... with JOY.. .with MORE ENERGY to go spend elsewhere.
You are an ENERGY TRADER...
How are your returns?
Do you wake up every day ready to invest again... or dreading that you are investing on a losing plan?
Your ENERGY is made up of your breaths... of your moments... of your life...
In every moment - you are making an investment.
invest your energy
deliberately...
keep looking honestly
at the return
you are getting
and the return you want...
And, think hard about your overall investment portfolio.
Are you trading
consciously?
Are you a day trader, or a long term investor?
Find the GREATEST returns...
in harmony,
Nestor