Other Things
A BIRTHDAY CANDLE FOR ENLIGHTMENT
Just as I was taking a bite from my veggie burger pretending as it was a birthday cake, Ido asked me:
“So, what are your birthday wishes for this year?”
I paused for a brief moment and looked at Ido and Dan. I was having a birthday dinner in the beachfront of Seagarden hotel, I had friends aside me and they gave me the cutest birthday card ever. So, what was it going to be?
If you have asked the same question to me last year, my answer would have been travel related. “To save money and travel the world…” I would say.
But if you have asked me 2 years ago, you would have a very different answer.
My wishes would include a better income, maybe something about a guy and again something about traveling. Whatever they might be, you would definitely get the clues of in which areas of my life I am discontent.
Certainly I would think about an expensive item I had my eyes on for a while or to buy a condo. I would have given you a very long list without giving much thought if they are the things I really really want.
I think as I get another bite from my burger. What will be my list for this birthday?
“I can’t come up with an answer…” I replied. “I have everything I have been dreaming of. My time belongs to me and just me only. I have the freedom of going anywhere, doing anything I like. I see beautiful places and meet amazing people. I don’t think I want anything else. “
I felt surprised by my own answer. Truly, I couldn’t think about anything else. The other answers crossing my mind were far from being material things. I said “to quit smoking…” and maybe I would like to travel with a lighter bag.
If I was to stretch the subject a little bit more, I would go as far as wishing a world peace and all but I decided to stay away from the 3rd class answers those were given in beauty contests.
I have come to realize that my only desire was “time”. My own time… To be able to wake up whenever I want, to eat when I feel hungry not when it is lunch break. To go to bed at 8 pm or am, whenever I want to.
A while ago I’ve decided to live by the words of Pepe Mujica, the former president of Urugay, one of the best souls who has been sent to earth. “When I buy something or you buy something, we don’t pay the price of it with money. We pay the price by the time we spent to earn that money. And time is priceless.”
When you change your currency to hours and minutes from Lira, USD or Euro, you realize that the object you desire to buy is actually doesn’t worth mentioning about it at all.
Let’s say a dress costs 100 dollars; how many hours have you spent to earn that amount? How many meetings you have to endure or how long you have to stand by a casheer’s desk? Let’s say 4 hours… Do those 4 hours of your life worth to that dress?
When you change your currency to hours, you feel like a veil lifted in front of your eyes.
You realize that the things you think you desire are not really worth for being desired. Then the only thing left is to ask this question: “What do I really what in this life that worths to pay with my time?”
This way you discover your real desires… It may be buying a condo or a great dinner with your loved ones. Each and every desire changes person from person. The thing doesn’t change is reality of those desires.
Change your currency to hours and minutes. It is the only way to discover what your heart really craves for. The rest are brief moments of madness, the bullshit of convincing yourself that you need to indulge or reward yourself.
Empty birtday wishes before you blow the candles and leave yourself in the dark.