What do you value?
September 26, 2008Religion has never been a constant in my life. I’ve always been varying degrees of spiritual, but always in slightly different ways. Like waves, each time comes and goes, but each one brings something just slightly different from the last. I’m just now realizing the trend, but I kinda like it. Each time it comes and goes, learn a little bit more about myself.
Maybe I’m just listening to too much ZenTri.
I heard this story the other day, and It really got me thinking about priorities, life and training.
A young man once asked God, “What is a million years to you?”
“A million years to me is just like a second in your time.”
Then the man asked god, “What is a million dollars to you?”
“A million dollars to me is just like a single penny to you”
Then the young man stood up and asked, “God, can I have one of your pennies?”
“Certainly, just a second.”
As simple as the story is, for whatever reason it got me thinking. Thinking about what really is important to me. Thinking about what we often value the most is what we have the least control over.
I could probably make a lot more money if I took another job that was boring and lame, but it wouldn’t make me any happier and ultimately that is a lot more important to me. I’d rather focus on making sure that the time I’ve got is spent well.
Time ultimately is a much more valuable currency to me. It isn’t guaranteed, and I will never know how much I have left, but I am the only one in control of how I actually spend it. Every day is a brand new 24 hours that I can use to take me anywhere I want to go.
Which brings me back to training. With as much time as I spend in triathlon, training, planning, racing, judging, calculating, sweating, I realized that I have never seen one second of it as a waste. Even after the most miserable bike workout trying to out pace oncoming rain clouds, I have trouble finding many things that I would have rather been doing.
Maybe it is because of how much time triathlon sucks up, and how little left it leaves me, that I’ve started to value time so much more. Making every minute with my family and friends really count. Doing my best to not take any of them for granted. Appreciating the aches and pains, PRs and bonks.
How has training changed what you value?
SBR TV 
I agree. I’d rather be poor with lots of time to do what I want than rich. Although I’d rather have it all. Because free time and money are both freedom, you know? But you know what I’d really like? I’d really like to be totally free. I want to be free of needing money. I want to live in a tipi and ride my bike everywhere and grow/catch my own food . . . but it’s just not practical.
Pisses me off that it’s so hard to do.
My spirituality has taken a dive, over the past few years. Lesbians aren’t known for going to church, you know, which may be unfortunate. But trying to balance the two out . . . well, it’s forced me to ask a lot of questions and I still haven’t found many answers.
So to answer your question . . . I’m not sure.
Great, great post!!! Once you’ve figured out what’s really important to you and what you want, no matter how much time it may look like it takes up in your life, it’s amazing how much better you can become at fitting it all in – and the relationships you have with yourself, hobbies, interests and other people become more real.
Those who dream most do most.