The Pink Muse: Four Investments You Will Never Regret

Tuesdays with Morrie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we talk about investments, the most common thing that comes to our mind are material and monetary possessions such as savings, a house, a car or a business. However, what I'm going to talk about today are investments which are not things, but relationships.

You see, I have read Tuesdays With Morrie for quite some time. A conversation with a friend reminded me of how Morrie valued his relationships above everything else, since at the end of his life, it will be the only thing that truly matters. This struck me because I personally feel that I haven't invested much on people and relationships in general. When I graduated, my mindset was to become successful at the shortest amount of time possible. But reminding myself of how Morrie saw his life, making himself as an instrument to inspire and help other people grow, I had a sudden change of mindset. Yes, I still had my material goals, but I realized that I needed to strike a balance with how I value them because at the end of my life, who will be beside my death bed? Will a house, a million worth of savings, a car and all these other things hold my hand and mourn for me? Definitely not. Over time, I learned to value my relationships more.

Here are the four investments you will never regret:

These are my friends from college, work, and church.

1. Friends

I'm talking about friends who bring a positive influence in your life. Friends who encourage you to pursue your dreams and those who are there to celebrate your joys and grieve with you at your lowest points. Right now I feel very blessed because I had gained so many friends across different areas of my life. I have friends from college, work and church. I know deep down that these people truly care and think the best of me. They bring sunshine in my life. Invest in friends who will not judge but accept you, but is honest enough not to turn a blind eye with your struggles. Invest in friends who will make you a better person. Do not isolate yourself because part of growth is knowing people and building friendships.

This is my family.

2. Family

Sometimes, the ones we are with every day are the ones we neglect the most. I encourage you to invest in your family. Show your mom and dad simple gestures of kindness and affection. Take them out to simple dinners, cook for them, have fun with them. Your presence is important. Sometimes you will feel like you know your friends more than your sister or brother, but don't let that be. Invest in getting to know them, helping them and doing small favors. Visit your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and don't use that smartphone in family reunions. Yes, I am preaching against myself because I tend to be complacent with investing time for my family. Your family may not be perfect, and you may feel like some things are holding you back from investing in them, but I believe God has His reasons why you have these people in your life. Treasure them, make time for them, and if they upset you, learn to forgive them every day.

I went to Villamor Airbase to volunteer for the typhoon victims,
since we're not allowed to take pictures,
I kept this ID as a remembrance.

3. People in Need

I remembered how I talked about blessings and how God gave them to us, not just to enjoy them but to share them. We are often stuck in the rationale that only the millionaires are obliged to help those in need because we don't have anything to give. But just as how Jesus saw the heart of the poor widow who offered her coin (Mark 12:41-44), God sees our hearts, and not the amounts that we give. It doesn't have to be money or material things. We can offer our time, our skills and other resources that will help those who are in need. They can be victims of calamity, orphans, elderly, aspiring students and the like. Compassion is what makes us human, and we only learn to truly give once we learn to give to those who can't give anything in return.

Starting on writing my devotions again.

4. God

This is one thing I realized: If you learn to invest in God, all the things that you should learn to invest on will follow. Jesus' example of compassion with the sick, poor and needy gave me the heart to finally take a stand and volunteer, which is something outside outside of my comfort zone. His example of His love for his disciples helped me to show genuine love and concern towards my friends. His death for the church who is His family reminded me to show sacrificial love to my family. Today, I decided to start on my written journals again and I'm so blessed with how God reveals Himself to me when I offer a time into reading His word, with no distractions. If you have to make the biggest investment, invest on God. Invest your time and resources on Him. You may regret a lot of things in your life, but I guarantee you that knowing Him, seeking, pursuing Him relentlessly is something you will never regret.

I hope this post encourages you to make these top 4 investments in your life.

Love,

Geline :)

I recommend this title that helps us invest in our relationships in a more profound way:

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
How's your relationship with your mate? Your children? Your parents? Your siblings? It may be a matter of the state of the "love tank". Author Gary Chapman in his book The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate believes everyone has a love tank, and that tank is filled by different love languages. These five languages are Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Quality of Time, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. (credit: Amazon.com)