I was recently in a conversation with someone and began talking about what it means to be an investor. With my mind going straight to financials, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc., she shifted it immediately to a lifetime of investing in people, in causes, and my businesses. It became so clear how conditioned we can become with words and the belief systems they create.
Money is only one form of currency. Time, energy, love, and soul, are others. I am certain that is not the limit of the list either, just where we stopped. Every day we are spending, investing, not just financially—but emotionally, spiritually, energetically. How often have you crawled into bed feeling absolutely spent? As if you gave everything you had to give that day, if not more.
When we over-give, overspend, we often don’t realize it until we are far over the comfort zone. Until we realize we should have been keeping tabs, conscious of when enough was enough. I learned years ago not to invest more in the psychotherapy or the coaching than my clients were. I wasn’t helping them, and I was making my job far more difficult and exhausting than it should have been. That learning was clearly an investment into my future, my increasing wisdom, and the adage of learning by doing.
Ask yourself, where is your true investment going? What IS your true investment? Energy? Time? Your health? Your relationships? Your career? Your personal time? Your faith? Is one consistently taking far more from you than you can give in a healthy way? Reflection is the necessity here!
Leaders who’ve “made it” are often shocked to realize how much they’ve been overdrawn in meaning, despite being rich in status. Frequently, I hear clients say, I’m just now realizing the price I’ve paid…. (This is 20-30 years after doing it a certain way.)
If I can speak to those starting out, learn early. What are your values? What do you truly want to invest in? What is your long-term vision for your life as a whole rather than simply one or two segments of it? As you begin developing, or reassessing your lifestyle, make sure all of who you are is represented.
In speaking to those who have been around a while, there is a real shift when the new paradigm shifts from acquisition to alignment. From proving to expressing. From moving up to expanding. From focusing on you to a generational legacy and, finally, from acquiring knowledge to sharing wisdom.
In that call to all reflect:
- What’s your ROI on joy, peace, and soul-satisfaction?
- If your time, love, & soul were each a currency, what are you buying?
When your investments align with your soul’s purpose, you don’t just succeed—you thrive.
If you need or want support, call, the sooner the better. I’ll be waiting…
