Don’t Waste Your Most Precious Resource

Waste not want not.

I'm nobody's ecologist, but it recently occurred to me just how wasteful we can be. Often in ways we don't even think about. Even if it’s unintentional it’s still a waste. There are countless activities we engage in during our lives that waste resources. Sometimes precious resources. In fact, a lot of us are wasting the single most valuable resource and don’t even realize we’re doing it. We’ll get to that in a moment.

               There are dozens of situations in which we are wasteful. For instance, drying your hands in a public restroom. I don’t know about you but until someone brought it to my attention, I’d snatch three, four, sometimes five paper towels to dry my hands after washing. What a waste. Another example is at restaurants. The sign says, ‘all you can eat,’ not ‘more than you can eat.’

               Here’s one: leaving your vehicle running for no other reason than you’re too lazy to turn it off. You’re not listening to the radio; it’s not so hot or cold that you need climate control. You know it’s going to be a while but leave the motor running anyway.

               At home, leaving on the lights in rooms you’re not even in is wasteful. How about keeping more clothes then you'll ever wear? My closets are packed with clothes I’ve only worn once or twice, or in some cases not at all. I tell myself, “There might be that one time, that special occasion...” Of course it never comes, but it might. Yeah, right after the aliens return to reclaim the pyramids.

"We have returned to claim the pyramids."

               Let’s talk water. Ever leave it running while brushing your teeth? What about turning on the shower, then watching TV until the next commercial break or starting breakfast? Your reasoning might be to ‘get the water hot’ but come on, 20 minutes?

               Then there’s the biggest waste of all. Time. Many have learned it’s a priceless gift. Others believe their supply is endless. It’s not. Then again, it’s theirs to spend. But they're wasting what’s surely the single most irreplaceable resource known to humankind. And when you combine wasting time with wasting talent, it borders on criminal.

               Still, this isn’t some lecture on shoehorning each and every life moment with something outwardly meaningful and productive. Porch-sitting, lying in bed staring at the ceiling and other ‘quiet’ sorts of downtime hold important inward value. Such activities help recharge our mental and/or emotional batteries. So although it might be considered idle time, it’s not always a waste of time.

               That said, squandering time is the worst form of human waste known. That's because I believe we all are put here for a divine reason. Central to that purpose is to help each other. What form that help comes in depends on the person. The trick (and it can be a big challenge), is figuring out what you’re meant to do here on this earth in the short but important time you’re here. There is no greater calling than for us to be engaged in or actively thinking about what it is we are meant to do in our lives.

              

"Time waits for no one, my pretty..."

Last week is gone; so is yesterday for that matter. How was the time spent? Helping yourself? Helping others? Don’t wait until the end of life before starting to think about what you woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’ done. That’s hell on earth, if you ask me. Instead consider now, this moment; what can I be doing that’s meaningful. You might be surprised at what you can come up with – that is, if you take the time to think about it.