Money

I was thinking … in our consumption driven economy is it right to say that the old saying “Time is money“ slowly becomes irelevant, obsolete and simply put, plain nonsense?

Time is money originated in the 17th hundreds and

convey the monetary cost of laziness, by pointing out that when one is paid for the amount of time one spends working, minimizing non-working time also minimizes the amount of money that is lost to other pursuits.

At a first glance, it almost makes sense as it seems to explain the direct cost of laziness and non-working time resulting in loss of money. If we take a moment and deconstruct the meaning of the words part of this expression, we are comparing apple and oranges, where one of them, in the grand scheme of things is irelevant. How can I state such a thing, in an economy driven by gains, surplus, things to have and to own? We are surely lost without having money because it is the norm presented now. Everything is about them, from the presented news of stars flashing incredible fortunes to the economy revolving around shareholder value and stock points but also to the regular people trying to sustain their families. The system in place is build to blind us into thinking that we have no alternatives and our sole purpose on this Earth is to work ourselves to death because otherwise we will lack the means to be happy, suggesting that money can support us achieving this.

Let’s zoom out a bit and think about people who already have gathered many years of experience on our planet -> the elderly. We tend to include them into categories like obsolete, having old and outdated values and no longer keeping up with our ever fast paced way of life. What we forget nevertheless is the old saying “Eu ca tine am fost , tu ca mine inca nu“ which translates roughly into “I was like you, you like me not yet“. Our elderly have experienced life much more than we did and most conclude that not the fortunes they have, the houses they build or the flashy pieces of clothing, jewelery and possessions were the things they most want. When you are close into facing the inevitable end, all you want is Time ! Hence having apples and oranges in the same sentence and suggesting the worth the same is pure nonesense. Our time is priceless and each moment we spend chasing things that enrich our lives is a time well spent.

Having a walk in the park, going in the mountains a few hours , reading a book, get with your friends, watching your children laugh about nothing or look how the leaves are moving while the wind is blowing … does not produce money but give you so much more. You feel alive and part of something magnificent. You live!

Some will argue that this is laziness and is not sustainable as you need to be productive. An old argument , that people are incapable of being productive if not forced into a standardized system. Again, what a load of nonesense. We are not standardized products that await to be lead. Each of us is capable of doing extraordinary things, based on it’s own life and experiences. What we are lacking is maybe the framework that supports such endeavour. Isn’t it beautiful how we are our own microcosmos build over time , continuously changing and evolving? How such a marvel can be standardized and contained and more importantly why would we want to continue trying to do this?

The new generations have already begun to sense this contradiction and are no longer accepting the norms imposed by the rigid system we have build. Their Time is more important to them than dedicate their best years into climbing a corporate ladder which leads to nowhere. Pushed by a rigged system, where maximizing profits seems to be the norm and getting early on to the same conclusion as our elderly, they are no longer accepting what is on the table. They want to feel and enrich their daily activities with meaningful tasks and work . They want to matter! No longer through empty promises and pizza parties but through flexibile hours and a general sense of purpose that can come only if the company truly believes in their message and people. The longer we continue lying to ourselves that preserving the status quo will bring us something, the worse it will get.

One argument will arise -> where are the money for such goals? I would argue the money are there, the problem being that they are mishandled and not used in the purpose of enhancing our lives but more in the never ending wheel of producing more. When we have people and companies which are worth more than some countries how can someone state that we are lacking the money? Automation and robotics will deepen up the gap and as long as we are chasing something ephemere like money, we will sign our own distopian future.

Let’s focus on the most important resource that can produce a future , that we now only can dream of - > People . Let’s start invest our resources and energy in Us. Let’s see us like He also meant us to be seen: unique and beautiful with endless potential in doing good. What better moment in start doing it, than NOW?

Until next time, with all my love,

Scrob-Nica Septimiu-Iulian / Iisus / Timi / Reza (Name is irelevant ;) )