Life is a treasure when you treasure life. This goes for work, money, health, relationships, and everything else. It is your treasuring of it that creates value and meaning.
What does it mean to treasure? It goes beyond loving and caring. The best way I can put it is that we imbue something (or someone) with a sort of magical and glittering presence in our life. Consider the word, “treasure”. Doesn’t it conjure up images of a chest full of glittering gold, diamonds, and rubies hidden deep beneath the sea? The precious stones shine and glow and project light. When we treasure something, we light up. We feel like we have found our pot of gold.
This is all of our making of course, but that’s what makes it what it is. It’s a subjective experience. For whatever reason, we choose to give something a magical power that has meaning for us, and perhaps for us only. That power that we create feeds us – not the actual thing, person or experience alone – but what we make of it.
Interestingly, having fewer things creates greater value. It’s easier to treasure a few things, a few people, a few qualities, for treasuring takes time and attention and deep caring. Quantity fragments our attention and reduces depth of feeling and value. The specialness gets lost. It is best to choose with love. A life filled with a few treasures can be so much richer than a life just filled with “more”.
When I first moved into an unfurnished place years ago, it sat empty for two months, except for a mattress to sleep on. My desire was to get to know it, and over time bring in things I loved. One day, I found THE sofa, a gorgeous loveseat. It cost more than two months rent! Yes, you can buy a whole living room set with that amount of money, but quantity was not what I was going for. Nor was it the price tag that made it special (that just made me think a bit longer, and fortunately I did have savings). The key was choosing only that which I loved and leaving the rest.
I struggled with the decision for a bit, but then knew that I had fallen in love with it and how deeply I would regret it if I didn’t get it. And if I could be so happy with an empty apartment, I’d rather have this one beautiful sofa and take time for the rest to follow!! It had many qualities that I valued of course, but the highest one was the feeling of love. Ever since (13 yrs ago), it has been a treasure and ongoing gift to me.
So it is with life, making choices becomes so much easier when we know what we love most, what is of most meaning, and what brings us natural joy. When you clearly know what is of value to you, it makes every action in your life much clearer, and it brings in the delicious experience of treasuring. What do you treasure in your life? Give it the attention, love, and caring it deserves. Discard the rest.
And by choosing with love, your life will be rich forever more.
Wow Jasjit, what a great commentary in a short space. That’s a compliment in every way!
Thanks Debbie! I was thinking of you recently, so it’s great to hear from you.
How timely for Christmas Jas! A few things rather than many – well spoke!
I’m currently in love with two of my possessions. One is a back pack that looks more like a jet pack – it does everything I want it to do and more in a very stylish way. Someone commented that I look like an urban warrior – loved that comment.
The second possession is a storage cabinet. It’s really a beautiful jewelery armoire which is making it’s presence known in our living room. It’s currently solving all the little clutter problems in this household – accessible cell phone cord holder without having to open up a cupboard that inevitably has shoes up against it. A place to light warm candles and a beautiful plant that reflects in the pop up mirror. A key holder and organizer which doubles as a necklace holder. And, most important of all – a place to hold paper elegantly and out of sight.
It’s an odd feeling for me to love possessions because it’s rare that I fall in love with things that I buy.
So thanks so much for your inspiring insights. And to add to your thoughts, the more we treasure ourselves, the greater we treasure everything and those around us. It’s a love fest!
Thanks Elaine! Yes, the treasuring of self is what creates that overflow onto everything and everyone. Personification gives objects qualities that are not visible, but felt. And when that brings joy, then it’s a treasure. Nice to hear your experiences.