| Just when you think you know it all, some 17-month | | | | 3. Money can't buy the most important things in life |
| old child comes along and teaches you another | | | | (happiness, joy, smiles, balloons, etc.) |
| valuable life lesson. | | | | 4. Your child can see value where you cannot, so |
| Little Lady lost her favorite ball. There are few things | | | | listen to what she says. |
| that bring this 17-month-old more joy than playing | | | | I figure at least two of these are valuable lessons |
| with her favorite ball. And, of course, we want our | | | | that can add happiness to a person's life. Little Lady |
| daughter to have all the happiness she can get. | | | | teaches me self-actualization lessons daily now, and I |
| So we headed out to the store to replace the | | | | am learning to listen with head and heart. |
| missing ball. Little Lady enjoyed the outing, since | | | | How often do we value the wrong things? The |
| there were so many exciting things to pull off | | | | things that cost the most? How hard to we work to |
| shelves. And when we reached the ball aisle, she | | | | earn all that extra income to buy things we simply do |
| nearly jumped for joy. (OK, more like raced to the | | | | not need. Anyone reading this probably has more |
| bin and started covering the floor with her joy, one | | | | than she will ever need, and yet don't we all want |
| bounce at a time.) | | | | more anyway? |
| As we left the aisle, Little Lady was happy and | | | | Suppose we chose to have less of the things money |
| smiling. She held her replacement ball in her hands as | | | | can buy, and instead chose to have more time? More |
| we walked up to the cash. While waiting to pay, | | | | time to spend with our family? More time to spend |
| Little Lady caught sight of a red balloon that had | | | | with ourselves? More time to just be? What if we |
| obviously been used for some promotion, but was | | | | are giving up the red balloon chasing after the ball? |
| now wandering aimlessly around the floor like a lost | | | | My wife and I made a big decision a few months |
| puppy. | | | | ago. We gave up the condo in the city for a big ol' |
| If you think a ball can bring happiness, wait 'til you | | | | house in the country. Our red balloon was space to |
| see the sparkle in the eye of a toddler who has just | | | | raise a family in a much less noisy and stressed-out |
| found her very own red balloon. Pure joy! Of course, | | | | environment. The ball we gave up was the "glamour" |
| she adopted the balloon immediately and clung to it all | | | | of city living and a fancy condo. |
| the way back to the car. Did she want to hold the | | | | Assuming we can make a living from my book, my |
| ball? No way. She had a balloon! | | | | ezine, my web site and whatever other |
| I couldn't help but marvel at how she valued the | | | | work-from-home projects I take on, we get to keep |
| free, fragile balloon more than the sturdy ball I for | | | | the red balloon. |
| which had just paid good money. Is there a lesson | | | | I invite you to look carefully at your life. Ask what |
| we can learn for self-actualization? Here are the | | | | truly brings you meaning. Then ask yourself if you |
| possible lessons that immediately occurred to me: | | | | could have more of that if you spent less time and |
| 1. Why bother having a thick skin, if your daughter | | | | effort on activities that don't bring you meaning but |
| prefers thin skins? | | | | just fill your time. |
| 2. If you drift aimlessly long enough, you might get | | | | Enjoy your red balloon. |
| adopted. | | | | |