The Bigger Picture:My parents became involved with personal development when I was quite young, and very early on I learned the phrase "time is money". Ironically, as I've grown older and wiser, I've noticed, indeed, that my time has no value.
Life is about a process, not an outcome. It is about what we are experiencing, not what we have achieved. However, when people plan their lives, I notice most of the planning goes into goals they wish to achieve, while little thought is directed to ensuring their lives are enjoyable in the moment.
We all know the industrial revolution radically changed the world in terms of the production of material things. However, it did something else as well. It really pushed forward the agenda of profit. Industrialisation made it possible for us to produce excess - that is, too many products - for lower costs, making the pursuit of profit a primary reason for producing (as opposed to human need and co-operation).
With this, the dream of acquiring great wealth became the property of the average person and not only something belonging to the owning class. Add to this the incredible way in which media has taken over our lives and we find ourselves not only bombarded with fantastical information about the joys of being ultra rich, but also ideas on how to achieve this for ourselves and the implication that this is what makes a good life.
Somewhere in this, we pick up the idea that all our activities are supposed to have a point, and that point is to achieve more profit, wealth and status.
The idea that time can be - or should be - measured in monetary terms is a distorted twist on the need to value ourselves. "I am valuable. My life is valuable. The days and moments of my life are valuable." And since we have a society that can consider value only in economic terms, my time is money.
In this way, life itself has become defined in a context of materialism. So, too, have our achievements. We see them as notches collected that symbolise status, positioning and a greater potential for wealth.
The value of the process along the way has become invisible.
Actually, our achievements have no great meaning in and of themselves. Their significance arises from the journey that went into achieving them: the effort exerted, the experiences gained and, mostly, the transformation that occurred in us along the way.
We learned, grew, developed, matured and, in so doing, evolved. This is what carries meaning. The certificate on the wall or line on our CV ultimately reflects this.
Still, to achieve is important, indeed essential. By achieving, we reflect an aspect of our self - our intelligence and creativity - that deserves to be expressed.
There is a satisfaction that grows from facing and coming through a challenge. While boredom is debilitating and depressing, activity creates energy, strength, peace of mind, hope, encouragement and enthusiasm.
Not all activities need to be geared towards achieving something. Not every moment needs to have a goal attached. Not every activity needs to fit into a greater plan. Our life is occurring right now, and it is important to spend at least some of it in the present: doing things simply because they give us joy, let us feel love and make us happy.
I often notice how little adults play. When we are children, play is all we want to do. We learn through play, work out our struggles and emotions through play, forge out new relationships through play but, mostly, enjoy our life with play. In the course of their play, children laugh a lot. They are not conscious of achieving anything else through their play. They just want to have fun, and in the process grow and develop as a matter of course.
I often coach people around exploring or remembering what they like to do for fun and motivating them to put aside time and bring these elements into their lives. There is a prevailing feeling that fun isn't worthy enough to spend our time on - it isn't going to translate into more money, freedom, clarity or standards of achievement. It doesn't have a point. How wrong we are.
Not only does play provide us with motivation, energy and exercise, fun is the foundation of mental health. It strengthens our confidence, brings us closer in relationships, develops our imagination and is de-stressing.
Each of these directly nurtures us, and so allows us to think more clearly and achieve better. Given that this is what most of us want, it's worth dedicating the time to bring fun back into our lives.
We don't have to prove ourselves, and certainly not with everything we do. All that is required is that we are true to our passions and heart, and bring them into our lives. With this as our guide, we will indeed challenge ourselves and build great things. We will also take time to play. While it won't directly earn us money or make us famous, it will make us happy and that is priceless.
ssinha@irish-times.ie