What Are You Exchanging?
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."-J.R.R. Tolkien.
There is a significant flip-flop of priorities in our society.
We rush, work, and carry on while neglecting life's simple—yet profound—enjoyments.
It's a paradox: we forgo the things that ultimately make us happy in life in exchange for (usually) something that we think will provide us with the things that will make us happy (which doesn't usually work).
We trade time, enjoy time with friends, travel, adventure, and so on, for money with the idea that the money will give us time with friends, travel, experience, and so on.
How often do you get "fast food" because it's cheap and easy?
When you do, you are trading health for convenience. You may be using the time you saved to make more money, or you may be lazy. Either way, it's a losing bet.
How often do you pass up an opportunity to spend time with friends so you can save a buck? This one bothers me. The most enjoyable thing in life is spending time with friends and family… and…
So what's the point of saving a few bucks if you are forgoing what you want money for?
The same goes for food–which is necessary for optimal health. Sacrifice food, and you give up health, no matter how much time or money you have in the future. As a result, you will never be able to repurchase your health.
Write down the things that make you happy, and you'll realize that most of them can be enjoyed free of charge—or super cheap.
The next time you want to forgo something in exchange for something else, make sure the "something else" is worth forgoing the "something."
Sometimes what's obvious could be more apparent.
Founder/CEO, Wild Foods
