Time: The biggest luxury of our society

Today I was selected as one of several industry players to be a keynote speaker at a women's empowerment workshop. One of the organization's promotional banners displayed the following quote by Benjamin Franklin that resonated profoundly. It read; "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

It's certainly been a while since I last published a LinkedIn article. I am without a doubt a culprit when it comes to overusing the excuse, "things have been so manic lately, and I've just been so busy." The truth is; the last several weeks, I have not been able to find a minimal amount of time to do the things I enjoy the most, including writing an article of any kind.

This lifestyle of ours has become so consumed with doing, achieving, and accomplishing more, that we're always on the go. Whether it be juggling deadlines and business meetings or fulfilling our social obligations-our to-do lists never seem to end! Then, there is always the foreign concept of trying to squeeze in "down-time" or a little R&R. (Do people even still get to do that?)

In these last few weeks of general life pandemonium, I have found myself contemplating the phenomenon of time. In all its' facets, the notion of time is so complex and invaluable, but we know this already, right? What is so fascinating to me is that busyness or "being busy" has become a status symbol in our society. The busier we are or appear to be, the more important and seemingly indispensable we become.

Since when did time become a matter of filling up our days and calendars to the point of possible burn out and exhaustion? I think a lot of it has to do with the human nature tendencies that we are never really satisfied with where we are and what we have. We are constantly on the pursuit of some kind to do more or be more. It's as though if we slow down, then we might not have a shot any success or we might miss that window of opportunity to make it "big" or dare we say, forfeit some life-changing event. We fear that we're going to lose out if we stop. The truth is, I can completely relate.

Working closely with the ideals of luxury and in the luxury market space, I have been reassessing the values of exclusivity and opulence. I have been trying to determine what has become so rare and so limited that invokes the sybaritic lifestyle even further.

Luxury can be defined as pleasure obtained only rarely. (www.oxforddictionaries.com) That said;

It is evident that the most prominent luxury of our society is, in fact, time.

More time? Not enough time. Too little time! Time is something we're all seeking and desire! It has become so rare these days that is has come to be a real luxury in our society. One can possess all the luxuries in the world, but if we don't have time to enjoy it all-where is the pleasure in that? As the revered journalist, G. Bruce Boyer said; "Real luxury is understanding quality, and have time to enjoy it."

Although the proposition of offering more time is not a luxury or an experience I can integrate into my marketing strategy, it is, however, a consideration we highly value when planning events and assigning campaigns on the calendar. Allotted carefully and strategically are vital factors such as dates and times. School holidays, weekends, national holidays, seasonality- are all accounted. The timing of everything is crucial and deliberately planned to accommodate clients and prospective clients. We appreciate that every minute we have with our clients and guests is invaluable. We, therefore, strive to offer them moments, unsurpassed experiences, and value in every aspect that is worthy of their precious time.

Time is the only luxury of today that is, in fact- free, yet undeniably priceless. So what are we doing to capitalize and invest in this luxury? While I haven't quite found a solution for my gain, I came across an insert in the heartfelt novel by Emma Heatherington (The Legacy of Lucy Harte: A poignant, life-affirming novel that will make you laugh and cry) that gives a beautiful perspective:

“Life is about time. Spend more time than you do, money on others. Give time more than any other gift. Also, take time when you need to. Take time for you when you need it. Sometimes time is all we have with the people we love the most. I ask you to slow down in life. To take your time, but don't waste it.” 

Be wise with your time and how you allocate it. It will be the best luxury investment you can make for yourself.

That's it for now- until next time!

BR

Chanelle