Preserving Your 'Yes'

I was enjoying dinner, and my oldest cousin said she wanted to speak with me. She said that she had been wanting to tell me for an extended period of time to consider the cost.  I responded okay and she reiterated “you really need to consider the cost before you commit to something, before you undertake something, or before you tie yourself to someone”. She began to talk to me about different things and it's funny because, as she was speaking, it was a reminder of something that I already knew, but it resonated differently.

It brought back memories of the ITDFM gathering. We had a roundtable conversation with interesting questions at the meetup. "Name something that you are working on or that you want to improve on?" was one of the questions. I had a strong feeling at the time that it was crucial to preserve my "yes." It served as a helpful reminder to take good care of what I have—resources, gifts, time, etc. Even though we may desire something, it doesn't mean we haven't had them—we just haven't handled them properly. Alternatively, we waste it, squander it, don't use it, and don't preserve it.

Because as we age, I've come to understand that time is valuable and that, despite your best efforts, it cannot be recovered. Time is a valuable resource that should not be wasted, since you will not reap the rewards of using those abilities responsibly. Like water that has been spilled on the ground it is no longer there. Thus, you should actually conserve your time, energy, strength, and mental capacity. So that you have it available when you really need it and don't feel overwhelmed, burdened, or depleted. Okay, that's really powerful.

You know, it's really time to consider the cost of everything that we're doing. Spend a day keeping track of your time and energy. What are you expending energy on? And after you write all that down, examine if it is conducive. Will it produce the life that you want to live? If not, you have to stop. Like if you were spending your time, your resources, your money, and your gifts on things that are not going to produce the life that you desire, you have to stop. And if you don't, you can't complain, because your life will be a product of the decisions that you make with your time. Energy, your resources, and your talents. That's it. Preserve your yes. Consider the cost and be a good steward.