Time Is More Valuable Than Money

EARN EMOTIONAL FREEDOM WITH INTUITIVE CHOICES

Time is More Valuable Than Money

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"Did you ever have to make up your mind - say yes to one and leave
the other behind?" sang the Lovin’ Spoonful. Every day we are bombarded with choices for what to do with our time - watch television, read a good book, visit a relative, complete a work assignment, play with our kids, exercise or lounge on the beach.

Each choice carries with it a certain anxiety - is this the right
choice - or would the other be better. Deepak Chopra, in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success says, "The best way to understand and maximize the use of karmic law is to become consciously aware of the choices we make in every moment."

I came face-to-face with the impact of decision making on the
Fourth of July. On the day America declares its freedom I realized I was
free to make a choice between preparing for a court case or enjoying my
80-year-old father's company. Which choice would serve the Higher
Interests? Which would feel better inside?

On the one hand, I could continue work on a court case. A former client
hired an aggressive attorney to seize back all the money she paid in legal
fees, and tried to do so by lambasting my character in court.
On the other, I could reminisce about family and share a barbecue with my
father and aunt, who traveled here unexpectedly from Wisconsin. He has a
delightful sense of humor that always lifts me out of a funk. My children
enjoy his company as well.

What criteria would I use to make the decision? At stake was what I
perceived as my legal reputation and about some sizeable legal fees. If my
decision were my ego - my standing in the community - I would readily prepare
for battle. If securing the money were absolutely critical, I'd step over
anything to get the cash. Truthfully, that's a lot of money.

After some keen thought I chose to spend a day with Dad. It felt like the
right karma in the moment. I'm absolutely delighted I did so.
Why?

Because I chose to listen to my Higher Self, instead of my ego. Deepak Chopra says, "You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In any moment of our
existence, we are in the field of all possibilities where we have access to
an infinity of choices."

In this situation, the court case with the former client had become a
vacuum, sucking up so many attorney hours like lint on a carpet. I
exhausted more than $5,000 trying to prove myself right against someone who
often makes everyone around her wrong. I began to obsess about restoring my wounded pride.

My Dad and I had one of our best times ever. We shared a leisurely lunch,
then painted together, until the guest bathroom became a lovely shade of
French coffee and we shared a cup of homemade cappuccino to celebrate our
handiwork. My aunt brought a scrapbook of family memories - of 4th of July
picnics past when the whole family attended.

With laughter, paintbrushes and faded pictures I was reconnected with the
past, securely connected to family in the present and poised to stand more
solid in the future. I chose wisely.

Robert Putnam, a Harvard University political scientist and author
of the book, "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital” suggests
society has become more and more disconnected from one another. Between
1972 and 1994, the number of people saying they spent a social evening with
a neighbor at least once per week dropped from 22.1 percent of all
respondents to 16 percent. The number of people who attend Parent Teacher
Association meetings dropped from 12 million in 1964 to 7 million in 1994.

One thing we know from such glaring statistics is that people who
disengage from family, church and social interactions in the neighborhood
and at schools, are people who seldom trust - even their attorney, who may have
their best interests at heart. They may not experience value, even when a
miracle occurs in their midst.

That's why I chose holistic law in the first place. I wanted to
help people become empowered in their lives, not just richer for having won
a case. The more I seek to enrich the quality of my life and of those
around me, the more we all win in the universal courtroom.

I can't be attached to a certain result in this one case. It is
the journey that matters more because I lead by example. I already have
an abundant supply of good clients who respect my legal intuition and pay
bills promptly. At 80 years of age, I don't know how long I'll have my
father's vibrant company.

The choice was to stay in harmony with my family and pray it would
contribute to harmony in all my affairs. My inner voice leads the way, and
for that I am grateful.