What is the true value of time?

 How do you value your time?

In the world we live in today, time is often measured by money. You are paid by the hour, or your monthly salary is counted by your work hours. Of course, we all need the money to pay bills and rent or a mortgage. But this thinking might take us in the wrong direction. That is not the actual value of our time. That is only how society sees the worth of your work. Sometimes that worth is seen as very valuable, and sometimes not. No matter what, you own your time. And for you and your loved ones, your time is the most precious thing in the world. 

Education

The more you invest your time in the beginning and study to become highly qualified, the more society is willing to pay for your time. Here is the catch: It is YOU who can choose and do whatever you want to do with your time. And you can change your mind.

Society and grown-ups put particular pressure on us when we are adolescents. And for certain, before we turn 20, there is no way of knowing what we want from life. Yet we need to live every day. When teenagers feel pressure about the choices they need to make for the future and complain that they are not ready to make those yet, they are both wrong and right. They should be told that we learn and grow our lives if we choose to. They should be told that their choices are necessary but not indefinite. They may change their mind later and choose differently the next time. But they must choose. We all choose how we spend every day. And how we spend or waste our time. To learn that is very important. Unfortunately, we need some bad choices on the way to help us learn. 

Equality or not

However, we are not all equal in our choices, which is sad. Our background and gender still affect our choices in many cultures. And we feel obliged to choose in a certain way. We have responsibilities to our families. Those obligations and responsibilities might dictate the direction in which we are headed. But I repeat we live every day. That is something we should tell our young ones. Every day counts. So we must choose how we live each day. We must realize that we are responsible for our own actions as well as non-actions. Our time is valuable. 

Pressure

A little bit of pressure can be helpful. One thing we should be taught at school is how to deal with pressure and turn it into an asset. By valuing our time, we find that pressure can be our friend. By being able to make the most of the time, what we have been given is a gift. And we are personally responsible for our time in the end. Not knowing what to do or how to put a price tag on something we do passionately seems like a very different problem when viewed through the lens of time. That is also why paying attention is sometimes the highest price you can pay. The time is yours. Do not waste it.

Your own set of values will determine what is to waste. We are all different, and our values and ambitions vary greatly. That is why someone's waste of time is a priceless moment for someone else. It is all in perspective. 

Soul searching

To learn to live by our own set of values and aims requires self-knowledge and courage. Sometimes one must live outside the norms to be at peace with oneself. In adolescence, we learn to rebel and question the old. Then we should take the first real steps into the world without overpowering parental supervision. It is hard and it has always been hard from generation to generation. We should grow into a society, learn at school, and understand our parents while starting to understand the concept of self-confidence and self-love. Some of us give up and settle. Some of us challenge everything and get hurt. No one has the knowledge to be someone who knows everything no matter how they present themselves. There is always room for improvement. And that improvement will cost you time. Are you willing to spend that on you? Or what is the value of your time?