“Hand over your valuables!” would have been a terrifying thing to hear when your stage coach was suddenly stopped on a deserted country road. In the past, things of value were tangible and could be taken from you and held by another. Friends were commenting that they had very little these days that would be worth stealing from their homes.
No Treasure Chests
It’s true. Most of the things that have monetary value are held digitally as numbers at the bank, numbers on credit cards, and as documents in the cloud. They are intangible. It might also be that we realize that the most valuable things were never the sparklie objects, but the living things: people, animals, plants.
Less Pressure To Buy
There’s a freedom in realizing that we carry our value in us; that it’s not the new tech, the fashionable clothes or fancy car that matter. Consuming more doesn’t bring a richness to our well-being and well-being is most important now.
Rather than buying a bigger house or a nicer car, if you use your money to share experiences with others, that money will get you a better return on happiness,”
Marc Schulz, one of the authors of “The Good Life”: No, money will not buy you happiness.*
We have the freedom to use the out-dated computer, and to wear the clothes we wish. There is no urgency to gather new objects anymore. Living simply has a great appeal.
Intrinsic Value Of Things
Those objects that I hold dear are often things that I alone find valuable, for their sentimental appeal. The photo of the family at the beach, the slippers knitted by my mother or a blanket given by a dear friend, hold immense value to me and me alone. They’re not worth stealing because I bring the value to the items, intrinsic value. They are not, in themselves, valuable to others.
Similarly, I value the light pouring in from my windows, the sounds of the small planes drifting across the summer sky, the paint colour on my office walls, and the possibilities held inside my art supplies and yarn stash. There’s joy in knowing that these are not extrinsically valuable and not likely to be taken from me.
How Can We Build More Value?
We can build value by learning new things and developing new skills. We can add value to ourselves by discovering new ideas and meeting new people.
Now, I imagine an ancient highwayman asking me and my friends for our valuables, only to have us pass him some knitted slippers, or instruct him on the best way to quilt fabric.
Retired, And Now What? 