LIFE-CHANGING INSIGHTS FROM AN ANCIENT SCROLL
I try not to chuckle when I hear or read folks who see nothing good in religion. And, I am using the word in a holistic sense. I am not too dumb to note its defects and yet I am not too post-modern to celebrate its beauties.
When I think of music, as an example, I am thinking of classical music, which is the most magical genre of art. Most of the men who bequeathed the captivating compositions, that will probably live forever, were HIGHLY RELIGIOUS men, who drew extensively from their faith.
Think of the Bible, too. I am aware of some of its deficiencies -- but I'd be a fool to throw the baby away with the bath water.
Let's meditate on one of the teachings in it. (For what it's worth, I am not a religious type).
Let's plumb The Parable of the Talents. I promise you it will be a quick exploration. (I am a minimalist).
The parable of the talents is one of the most potent, instructive and lucid micro-stories on the fate of our abilities. The following are 4 major lessons to be drawn.
It's instructive to note that the faithful servants, even though they had different capital (abilities), both earned the same return on investment (100 percent). So, what is defining is not the capital, but how it is employed.
The start-up capital was not given in equal measure, but according to each person's ability.
Abilities can be used in many ways. The unfaithful servant did not see the value in the capital he was given. He was focused on what he perceives to be his master's defect. He did not see the fruits in the seed he was given. He does not understand the concept of compound interest.
And, the last, but not the least: If an ability is not used -- it will be taken away.
Look around you now, your smartphone, Laptop, clothes, table, car...are all concrete versions of the abilities of other people.
What are you contributing? What are you producing? What are you sharing with the world?
When all is said and done, we are here to use our abilities to SERVE others, and we are richly rewarded when we do, because activity, positive action is one of the secrets to joy.
So, what fundamental change do you need to make before you can integrate the insights in the parable?
You need to stop wasting time on what's not adding value to you and others. You need to let go of the illusion that you have time. You don't. You never did.
Time is eternal.
We are given a sliver of it to develop ourselves to the highest height. So, what do you spend most of your time doing? Is it really contributing to your growth and that of others? Or are you confusing being busy for being USEFUL?
Busy doing what?
It's not enough to be busy.
Remember that every second, every minute, every hour...is a seed, and that the fruits you'd reap depend on what you devote time to.
What we spend our time on, what we devote this precious gift of consciousness to is the most eloquent testament to how clarified and mature we are. It's also a predictor of the trajectory of our fate.