Defining Value

'Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.'
Oscar Wilde
 

In the business world we measure employee performance in terms of time, money, and output to determine bonuses and promotion prospects.  On a personal level how do you define 'value'? The dictionary says: 

1. the regard that something is held to deserve

2. principles or standards of behaviour;

3. one's judgement of what is important in life.

When I sort my closet I make the judgement of what to keep based on, 'Is it beautiful?', 'Is it useful?' and 'Can I live without it?'.  Every year it shrinks.

'I make myself rich by making my wants few.'
HD Thoreau

But what about how we spend our time and with whom?  Bob Dylan says, " A man is successful if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do".   Given that we have a limited time on earth it behooves us to live in a way that embodies our true selves and  allows us to grow as humans. 

'Your core values are the heart of your business.' - Anon

As the holidays and another birthday approach, I reflect on what is giving me the deepest satisfaction in my life in order to do more of it while on the flip side what is not serving my true Self and letting that go.  I am indeed fortunate in that everyday I  express my values, to share, inform, and transform clients which brings profound satisfaction knowing I have made a difference not only here but elsewhere in the region.  The Red Doors community grows, the breadth and depth of our services expands and from one drop,  one person, the ripples of change travel around the world.  Thank you for joining me on the journey.  I invite you this week to let go of the baggage that is no longer allowing you to live in your authenticity.

What do you see?

Sight - perception of objects by use of the eyes
"It is only with the heart that  one can see clearly. What's essential is invisible to the eye." The little Prince.

Sat nam

Predators such as owls and cats are renowned for their eyesight. They live in the moment, 'what you see is what you get'.  Our interpretation of what we see is clouded as we delete, distort and generalise based on our experience, memories and culture in order to derive meaning.  This takes time, energy and can even be wrong!  Can you imagine accepting what we see for simply that?  When we accept others for who they are as we experience them in the here and now with no hidden agendas, no second guessing, just acceptance.  I invite you this week to remove the clouds and filters and to see life as it is, in all its beauty.

The eyes of children

Sometimes when I need a miracle I look into the eyes of my child and realise I already have one.

Sat nam, 

Lost innocence, Trust,  Belief in magic.  When was the last time you saw the world through the eyes of a child?  You saw the world for what it is without judgement, without filters, without prejudice.  As adults we immediately delete, distort and generalise to apply meaning to sensory input.  Children relish the magic of nature and simply accept the here and now.  Adults spend hours learning to still the mind and become the empty vessel.  This week I invite you to spend time with children.  Even on the bus catch their eye, see what they are looking at and imagine seeing those things for the very first time.