Dollar Value of Your Time
Is it not amazing that we spend so much time watching what we spend by way of money, yet we expend our time without care or concern? This may well be an age old conundrum, yet it applies critically to the on-line generation. Starting with a Google search we sit at our computer clicking an ever endless sequence of links. Invariably, just clicking through to where we have been before.
Return on Investment
Our lifespan is usually measured in years, yet it is also marked off in minutes and seconds as they tick away. This raises a very pertinent challenge to how we value our existence. For example, suppose we are shopping on-line, looking to save on purchases by finding the ever elusive cheaper, or even free option. From the point of view of a business you would not want to spend more money on the search than you are saving from the exercise of the search. However, you are in a business, the business of living, with a limited amount of time at your disposal. It is time to consider just how much of your lifetime you will give up to save a dollar or two. Yes, we should be prudent, but my experience is that the time expended is frequently excessive for the savings achieved.
Our True Self Worth
It is interesting to watch people, including ourselves, as we move through life, to see where we place our values. At the end of each day we may feel that life was full and meaningful, or we may feel somewhat frustrated at how little we achieved. This invariably is because our life is out of balance. There needs to be balance and measure in our existence, and this will not be achieved by a person devoted to their computer. How stupid would that be? I devoted my life to my computer. What about the other facets of living well, including preparing meals, caring for our property, caring for our physical wellbeing and caring for others. If any one of these and the various other activities we undertake is seen to be a drudgery, just reflect on the good fortune we have to be able to mow the lawns, tend the gardens and attend to all the other aspects of living. When this capacity is taken from us, we will suddenly see the treasure of all the demands on our being.
On-line Wisdom
Computer users are at great risk of imbalance in their lives. Computers are wonderful tools and they can relieve us of loads of work giving us easy access to volumes of information. But computers must be managed since you are the master or mistress while the computer is the slave. Remember the value of your time, versus the monetary benefit from time expended. If you spend an extra dollar you can always get another dollar to replace it. If you spend an extra minute that minute will not be replaced in this lifetime. We should keep it all in perspective discriminating between what is good value and what is waste or loss. Live well, enjoy life and keep the computer in its appropriate role as slave to suit our purpose.
