There are two ways of looking at
life so far as how we live it: we either make a contribution and/or we make an investment.
That is, we make active contributions to life and/or we invest in people’s
lives, including our own.
Contribution is about frontline
activity, whereas investment is about support. In sporting terms, contribution
is to the offensive function as investment is to be defensive function.
Contribution is about scoring goals, and investment is about assisting those
scoring the goals. Contribution is about applying knowledge and skills, whereas
investment is about learning them. Contribution is about performance;
investment is about development.
We tend to start out investing in
our own lives, until we reach our 20s, before spending the next 20 to 30 years
in a period of contribution. And then, at about age 50 or 60, we begin to
invest more again, but this time in others’ lives.
We also have work that is either
contribution-focused and/or investment-focused.
Weighing Up Where We Are At
Whilst we are more or less either
contributors or investors, the phases of our lives find us identifying more
with one than the other. When we are young we are naturally more ambitious—more
goal-focused. We have worlds to conquer. As we age we get to appreciate, more
and more, that the meaning of life is mysterious and we get more curious. The
older we get the more philosophical our outlook. And the more we think about
these things the more we feel the pull to invest.
But we can be inspired to add
sprinklings of contribution at an older age, just as we can be compelled to
invest at a much younger age.
All we can do, as we think about
our lives, is determine what phase we are currently in—and be comfortable with
it. Why should we get frustrated with ourselves if we are not achieving when we
are actually in a phase of investment? Conversely, we shouldn’t decry being in
the limelight when it is our season to contribute.
Appreciating what phase of life we
are in, and enjoying that part of the ride, is wisdom. And this sense of wisdom
is also peace; to have right-sized the expectations we have of ourselves.
Planning for the Next Phase
One of the joys of life is
planning for the next phase. We get to use our imaginations in pondering what
life could be like beyond the present challenges.
If we are currently contributing
to a great extent, then we can look forward to a time when the pressure won’t
be so great. Having traversed the season of investment, for instance learning,
we can look forward to a season of application—to make our contribution.
***
Understanding and accepting our
phase of life—whether it is contributing or investing—is both wisdom and peace.
We need both functions.
Of course, contributing can be
seen as investing as investing can also be seen as contributing.
Enjoying life is about vision; knowing
what we’re about and what we want. Contributing and investing are both
worthwhile phases to be enjoyed.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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