We’ve all seen them. The cardboard signs with black marker asking for handouts held by a panhandler claiming “homeless”, “out of work”, “disabled”, “hungry”, etc. In my crassness (caused by my profession) my first thought is, where did they find the damn marker? I’m a middle class, full time job working, home/car owning, boss babe/ wife / mom, and for the life of me I can never find a black marker when I need one. Batteries, tape, and toenail clippers are also like matching socks in our home…missing. Yet a homeless person with no claim to material wealth can find a black marker to write on a piece of cardboard whatever they are asking for from the rest of us.
This made me think of the value we place on things. I recently quit drinking soda, and many years ago quit smoking cigarettes. Funny how even when I was ‘broke’ I found a way to feed my addiction. I always seemed to have money for cigarettes. I always put soda on the grocery list. I deemed them a necessity.
The drug addicts who overdose repeatedly, they value their drug of choice for a high and find a way to get it. The suspects we take to jail repeatedly, they value their freedom and find a way to pay for bail. I’m well aware of their means of getting what they value, I just know I’d never get away with the things they do. Why? Because of what I value.
The value of something isn’t always about the financial cost. I value good manners, trust and integrity, hard work. I value my upbringing, beliefs, the freedom I’ve earned for myself and others through sacrifice and service. I value myself. I value the people I surround myself with. My profession reminds me daily that my life isn’t so bad. My problems aren’t so big. And my purpose is greater than anything anyone else plans for me. I’ve learned my own self-worth isn’t based on the opinions of others, my happiness isn’t controlled by others, and the things I’m grateful for aren’t material things. The things I’m grateful for are moments, memories, and feelings, all of which are priceless.
The lesson on value is this: You give people, situations, and things power by placing value and importance on them. If you want better, do better. Start where you are. Be grateful for what you already have. Expect to receive what you want. Live intentionally. Do everything on purpose. Just like a panhandler making their cardboard sign, write down what it is you're asking the universe for. What would your sign say?
