\n
It was a cold December night, and the rain had been kissing the Earth for hours. A wintry wind was blowing beside the home that Human was living in, as Human sat on the couch, looking out the window at the leafless maple tree swaying in the wet winter breeze.<\/p>\n
Human glanced at the other half of the couch and noticed that Time was curled up on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d Human asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe? I\u2019m Time. Can you hear me ticking away?\u201d<\/p>\n
Human stood up, puzzled and afraid. \u201cWhat in the world are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me introduce myself. Your Life is the home in which you live. I, Time, am the broker with the mortgage company who\u2019s financing your home loan. You can think of the mortgage company as God, destiny, Karma or whatever suits your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Human, still feeling scared about the presence of this unexpected visitor, moved farther away from Time and walked towards the main door.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do that. You\u2019re giving up your Life. Come back closer and hear me out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Human hesitantly made its way back to the couch, sitting a few feet away from Time.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome even closer. If not, I\u2019ll move near you,\u201d Time said as it snuggled next to Human. \u201cThis feels cozy. I\u2019ve been craving your presence for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re bizarre. What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to connect with you, again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I want your home\u2014your Life\u2014to be the best it can be, while you\u2019re here on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Human shrugged its shoulders. \u201cIt\u2019s my life. I know what to do. I don\u2019t need anyone else telling me that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s a scary fact. Even though you\u2019ve signed a Life contract that\u2019s valid for X years, there\u2019s no guarantee. The mortgage company from whom you got Life\u2019s loan might change their provisions at any time, and you might not even get notified of those changes. That\u2019s just life, unfair as it may seem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI still don\u2019t get it. Why are you bringing all this up? Just keep things easy, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Time laughed. \u201cIf only I could guarantee easefulness in your Life \u2026 oh, well. Here\u2019s the thing. For most of the years of our contract, I\u2019ve been conversing with your soul\u2014I connect quite well with it\u2014and we both agree about what we think your home should be like. Soul tells me what it wants, and I reaffirm that I\u2019ll support its endeavours. What gets in the way is \u2026 well \u2026 your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what it is\u2014fear, greed, delusion, anxiety or a mix of it all\u2014but quite often, when Soul and I call out to you: \u2018Hey, Human! Let\u2019s spend some time taking stock of our Life and see if we\u2019re living it the way we want,\u2019 we mostly get denial.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not true. I have a good connection with my Soul. You don\u2019t get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019ve observed is that most of the time when we call out to you, we start having a conversation and come up with a vague plan, but then there\u2019s that crazy knock on the door of your home by \u2026 .\u201d Time paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
DMMM: Desire to make more money<\/h2>\n\n
\u201cI call it DMMM: Desire to Make More Money. DMMM is a mindset that knocks on your door often, making you stop what you were doing and switch to other things. Why? Because you like to have resources that help you buy stuff you want and need, like groceries, fancy furniture, insurance payments, payouts for vacations, meals with friends and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Human frowned, staring at Time as if it was loony.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when it knocks, you run towards it, open the door and let it take over most of your home, your life. All the plans we\u2014your Soul, you and I\u2014had started drawing get erased (or pushed out), and so it goes, for years and decades. I keep ticking along, making tiny clicks every time I move forward, trying to remind you that precious loan withdrawals are happening every second of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
What do you expect me to do? Keep talking about spirituality with you and Soul, while ignoring DMMM and continuing to starve?\u201d<\/p>\n
Time laughed.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not a mutually exclusive thing; I\u2019m not saying you should give up on DMMM. Rather, try finding a healthy balance between us\u2014Soul, me and you\u2014and DMMM.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? What\u2019s wrong with how things are right now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Human looked out the window. Over the next couple of minutes, a few crispy clouds sailed across the blue sky. <\/p>\n
Time spoke again. \u201cSee those clouds passing by? That\u2019s me, taking them on their journey. Time flies by. And before you know it, your lease will be up and your Soul will be crying, thinking of all the times its requests were ignored during the contract of your lease on Earth. And keep in mind, this isn\u2019t just about spirituality. It\u2019s about living the life you want and deserve. It\u2019s about filling your jar of happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJeez. Jars, clouds, souls. Can\u2019t you be simple and straightforward?\u201d<\/p>\n
Time smiled. \u201cOK, here\u2019s a basic question: \u2018When your lease is up, and it\u2019s time to leave your home, what kind of answer would you have if someone (or your Soul) were to ask you: \u2018Human, overall, did you live the life you desired?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Human bent its head down towards the floor. Its eyes clenched tight, its heart gradually started to palpitate, and its stomach rumbled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stream of thoughts dribbled in: pride and gratitude for the stable foundation of its home, the remodelling achievements it had made over decades, the repairs and changes it completed when they were needed or wanted. However, there were plenty of parts of the home that had been ignored for years and were crying, asking to be reviewed, all because Human chose to spend most of its energy and time on DMMM-related tasks.<\/p>\n
Human started to remember the moments when it did have nourishing and inspiring interactions with Soul and Time, moments when Soul felt lit up and vibrant. This happened during experiences that ranged from tiny to grand: being part of long-craved family get-togethers, indulging in hobbies, manifesting skills and desires into projects, paying attention to the wonders that existed in the world\u2014and the list went on.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, these activities were often interrupted by the knock of DMMM, the knock that made Human shove aside Soul and Time and start doing what DMMM asked it to: <\/p>\n
\nPostponing a family get-together to get a discount on a flight ticket for later.<\/li>\n Choosing to work on weekends instead of going for hikes and playing soccer.<\/li>\n Spending an entire evening researching market economics instead of taking courses to build piano-playing skills that would\u2019ve helped it do live piano performances. <\/li>\n Sitting on a bench in a park and checking bank balances on the phone instead of looking at the rainbow that was painting the evening sky.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nHuman realized that a lot of its actions were subconsciously driven by DMMM\u2019s knocks, even though this wasn\u2019t initially obvious. Nonetheless, now that it had started to look deeper into Soul, it was becoming clear that most of the time, DMMM was getting prioritized over Soul when it came to both daily desires and long-term goals. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can sense your feelings, my love,\u201d Time chimed in, holding Human\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
Tears started to pour down into a puddle beside Human\u2019s feet, as it cried: \u201cNo! This isn\u2019t what I wanted. I don\u2019t know where I started to go wrong, but for the most part, this isn\u2019t the home I want to live in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s never too late,\u201d Time said as it moved closer to Human again. <\/p>\n
\u201cToo late for what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo invest in TSYPL.\u201d<\/p>\n
TSYPL: Take stock of your precious life<\/h2>\n \u201cJeez. What are you talking about now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTake Stock of Your Precious Life. Since DMMM has changed the shape of your mind significantly, I\u2019m using a financial analogy. TSYPL is the best stock you can and should invest in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018invest in TSYPL\u2019\u201d?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you take stock of your precious life, you\u2019re talking vulnerably, frankly and deeply with your Soul and me. We set aside all money-related thoughts and actions and focus on one simple question: \u2018Am I living the life I want and deserve?\u2019 To implement the answers to that question, we don\u2019t need to make complex plans that stretch out across six years. We can start with a question as simple as: What do I need to do today to fill my jar of happiness?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mentioned the happiness jar before. What\u2019s that all about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThink of it as a jar that can be filled in several ways. Any experience or situation that dribbles joy, peace, growth or nourishment into that jar is contributing to your well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm, interesting concept. I guess I\u2019ve been trying to fill it mostly by having more green papers in the bank. I do try other ways to fill that jar\u2014like volunteering, travelling and all that stuff\u2014but I feel like a lot of my energy is focused on the green papers and I don\u2019t have time for other things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re being introspective about this. That\u2019s the starting point for the TSYPL investment process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what would the returns be on the investment?\u201d<\/p>\n
Time laughed. \u201cClearly, your mind\u2019s been taken over by Money. Not a problem, my love. I\u2019m here for you. The biggest return is that your jar gets filled more and more, and that happens on a regular basis. Here\u2019s the stock prospectus that I always carry in my pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time took out a piece of paper and handed it to Human.<\/p>\n
\n
Human closed its eyes and put the paper down, taking in several deep breaths. A flurry of thoughts, emotions and feelings floated through its body: hope, sadness, faith, regret, inspiration, guilt, fear, doubt, excitement.<\/p>\n
It took a few minutes before its mouth uttered four transformative words: \u201cHow do I start?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cultivating mindfulness one swipe at a time<\/h2>\n \u201cCongratulations for asking that question. That tells me you\u2019re open to change! Let\u2019s start with a tiny swipe of a paintbrush on any wall you like. For instance, let\u2019s change how you eat your meal during your 30-minute lunch break on a Wednesday. What if you choose to eat it more mindfully while focusing on the act of eating\u2014the smell, taste and texture of the food, as well as how your jaw moves when you chew\u2014rather than thinking about the work tasks you\u2019re supposed to finish after the break?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does eating mindfully have to do with making me emotionally and financially stable and happy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood question. When you start cultivating mindfulness, you\u2019ll gain more clarity about what matters in your life. That\u2019s because you\u2019ll be paying attention to your needs and wants in the present moment, rather than six weeks or four years away. You\u2019ll want to spend more time with your Soul and me, asking us\u2014and yourself\u2014introspective questions about how to enhance your home right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOK, and then what?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cOne step at a time, buddy. You just applied the primer coat of paint, and gradually, you\u2019ll start applying the actual paint. Remember, prioritizing Money is something that\u2019s been ingrained in your mindset for decades, and it\u2019ll take time to repaint the walls of your mind and life.\u201d<\/p>\n
As much as Human felt motivated and excited about this change, hesitation and confusion still lingered in its mind. Time could sense a feeling of doubt floating in the air, so it continued dispensing advice. <\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s another practical tip: You can start your day with an affirmation like, \u2018Today, I\u2019m going to indulge in one experience that will help fill my jar of happiness.\u2019 This doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re giving up planning things for tomorrow or next month. All you\u2019re doing is allocating some time for indulgence today, instead of postponing it for later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on, I\u2019m listening \u2026 sort of.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you focus on how to contribute to your jar of happiness today, this will help you develop a healthier relationship with Money and thereby enhance your life over the years to come. Is that something you\u2019re interested in?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Time, all I want is to be happy. Simple.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time chuckled loudly. \u201cIf only life was that simple and raw. I\u2019m trying to think of any being on this planet whose life has been simply happy. Hmm, I\u2019ll have to go back a few million years! But anyway, speaking of happiness, let\u2019s go back to our jar. Your goal is to keep adding to it, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Human nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOK, so because you\u2019ll be adding tiny bits to that jar on a regular basis\u2014hopefully each day\u2014you\u2019ll be bringing fulfillment into your life every day. And because you\u2019re already content, that will soften the urgency to run after other long-term things, which will lower your stress, anxiety and worry levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat seems profitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure is. And because a lot of Money-related thoughts and actions are driven by worry and anxiety (Will I have enough for later? How much do I need? Is what I have now enough? How do I get more?), your relationship with Money will start to become healthier, because worry will move to the backseat of your mind. And so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re telling me to break up with Money?\u201d<\/p>\n
Changing the relationship with DMMM<\/h2>\n\n
\u201cNope. There\u2019s a difference between a breakup and a healthy restructuring of a relationship. Think of turning DMMM into MMM \u2026 something sweet. Wouldn\u2019t that be ideal? The implementation of that change will depend on where DMMM is coming from and how you interact with it when it knocks on your door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean \u2018where it\u2019s coming from?\u2019 Why should that matter to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it can come from a place of genuine intent\u2014\u2018I want to help this Human achieve their home projects in a healthy, fun and productive manner\u2019\u2014or from one of worry, fear and a lack of clarity: \u2018I just need to keep hoarding and loading. Doesn\u2019t matter what I do with it all, I just want big numbers. I\u2019ll decide what to do with those green papers later.\u2019 The former source of origin is lusciously sweet, and the latter is nauseatingly sour.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInteresting. I\u2019ve never thought about how DMMM\u2019s origin matters, so thanks for the insights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you know why I\u2019ve been asking you to spend time with me!\u201d<\/p>\n
Human stared at Time, gazing at its being. \u201cYou look frail and old.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed, I am.\u201d Time smiled as it spoke. \u201cI\u2019m not the same crispy young person I was when you signed your lease. Change is the only constant, and that\u2019s why I want to remind you to make the most of whatever\u2019s remaining of your lease.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy can\u2019t you just tell me how long the lease is and give me a guarantee? That\u2019s not much to ask for, is it? Knowing that will help me plan and prioritize things much better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time smiled again and shook its head. \u201cThat\u2019s just how the contract was signed, millions of years ago. There\u2019s no way it can be changed, not just for humans but for all living beings. It\u2019s not in your control or my control. What\u2019s in your control are three things: who to be with\u2014DMMM or Time and Soul\u2014how long to be with them, and what you do with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how would you help me on this journey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBuddy, remember, I\u2019m the broker for your lease. Since you have more clarity now\u2014because you\u2019ve had more time to do some introspection and planning\u2014you\u2019ll be able to leverage my services to your utmost benefit. Call me when Soul wants to add to your jar. Tell me and Soul what you want to do with your home. And then, only after our conversation, call DMMM and use us all to get started. And when you\u2019re done with the home project, say thanks and bye\u2014not goodbye\u2014to DMMM, and get back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if it keeps knocking on the door? It\u2019s done that a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYup, and it\u2019ll keep doing that. It may also linger in your yard, staring through your windows and trying to make its way in, but remember, you have the keys to your home. No one else does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need practical advice about how to manage it, not just analogies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time replied, \u201cWell, since your lease is for an uncertain amount of time, ask yourself these two things:<\/p>\n
\nHow full is my jar as of today?<\/li>\n If I open the door and let DMMM in, how much is that contributing towards my jar\u2019s fullness?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\u201cIf it\u2019s bringing significant value-add\u2014both today and for later\u2014and it\u2019s not negatively affecting your ongoing home improvement projects, then decide how long you want it to stay before you walk it out. It\u2019s your home. You\u2019re the property owner; DMMM is a guest. You\u2019re grateful for all it\u2019s doing for you, but no one wants guests to stay forever, or else they become gusts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Human laughed out loud and then high-fived Time.<\/p>\n
Time laughed along. \u201cThere you go, buddy. I\u2019ve been waiting for this for a long time: a high-five with my loving tenant on this Earth!<\/p>\n
A happy ending to a chilly evening<\/h2>\n And thus ended that winter evening, as Time, Human and Soul snuggled each other on a warm couch, feeling grateful for their sacred bond and for DMMM\u2019s easeful and sweet MMM-role in their beloved home.<\/p>\n
\u00abRELATED READ\u00bb<\/strong> MINDFUL BEAUTY: How to overflow the happiness jar of your life\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\nimages: Depositphotos (except TSYPL diagram by Kunal Mehra Design) <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It was a cold December night, and the rain had been kissing the Earth for hours. A wintry wind was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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