Clock Tower UW-Madison by Laurie Buchanan

One of the questions I ask myself when it comes to deciding how to use time is, “Is it worth the cost?” I am, after all, going to pay for it with my life. We each have a certain number of heartbeats; a certain number of breaths. None of us knows our personal expiration date. How we use our time is how we’re either spending or investing our life.

Before engaging in activities such as watching reruns on television, staying in a job we can’t stand, or remaining in a relationship that’s bankrupting our heart, we can ask ourselves, “Is this worth exchanging my life for?” Life! That’s a pretty steep price to pay. That’s why I opt for activities that are investments—something that yields a return; a dividend. It might be health from exercise, laughter from spending time with friends, fulfillment from writing, relaxation from a nap, or peace of mind from meditation.

On a recent post in his blog Living and Dying with Eyes Wide Open, Peter came to the conclusion that he can allow himself experiences simply for the mere joy of it. I commented, “Peter – In my experience “for the mere joy of it” is quite possibly one of the best “returns on investment” (dividend) that a person can have.”

If you know me at all, you know I have a small issue (okay, a big problem) with the breathtaking speed at which times goes flying by. In an effort to soothe my frustration, one of my friends gave me a StoryPeople greeting card by artist and storyteller, Brian Andreas. It says, “Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.” I love that!

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