At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realise that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death. The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me. What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love.
Steve Jobs
These are the words of late tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs while he was on his death bed. It is a far too common occurrence to have regrets late in life and feel helpless to do nothing about it. You may be a billionaire, a noble peace prize winner, or a pioneer doctor; there will always be some regret that will bother you.
When we start chasing a goal, we tend to skew our viewpoint and overly prioritise one aspect of life. It will shift the balance, and we will neglect other dimensions of life. The thought of the inevitability of death will bring back the perspective. Material wealth will take a back seat, and the importance of family and love will be prioritised. But to survive, we need material wealth; at the end of the day, we cannot eat love. So, tilting in either direction will be problematic, and eventually cause regrets.
How can we overcome this dilemma and find the right balance? Can we be motivated and be still content at the same time? How can we allocate the finite resource “time”?
My thoughts are still maturing, and my experience is inadequate. But from my understanding, I developed a method to try maintaining the balance of my daily life. Thus, I came up with the concept of “The Five Currencies”.
Here the currencies stand for different dimensions of life. They are addressed as currencies because you have to work to earn them. Every day we work hard to make money, now imagine working not only for money but for four other currencies. That is the entire premise of this concept. In no way can we account for all the dimensions of life, nor can we quantify. I listed currencies based upon my priorities, and your currencies list should be unique to you. I draw an analogy of a traveler and journey to simplify the concept.
So, what are the five currencies that I strive for every day?
Physical currency
physical currency stands for your body and your overall health. Your body is like a car that has to carry you throughout your journey. During the journey, we want the car to be as comfortable as possible. No one wants a car that breaks down in the middle and requires many repairs. It should be able to pull you through ups and downs, and rough terrains. It forms the foundation for all the other currencies, and without a robust physical currency, you cannot move ahead. It need not be beautiful or strong, but it should be reliable to pull you through tough times.
Work to provide it with proper fuel, tuning and timely servicing. I earn my physical currency daily by walking at least 15,000 steps per day and having a balanced diet.
Mental currency
Mental currency stands for the knowledge and skills that you acquire during your life. Your professional experience comes under this currency. It functions as a driver for your car. Now imagine a reliable vehicle having a driver with no sense of road and directions. The car will go in monotonous circles or dead ends eventually breaking down. Feed the driver with new maps and directions daily, even if the roads are far away from your planned destination. We never know what detours the car will take, one path may close, but many ways will open.
It can be strengthened by giving a continuous input of new knowledge. I strengthen it by daily learning at least one new piece of information or concept. It can be professional or non-professional knowledge, but learning is the key.
Social currency
Social currency stands for all the people in your life. Your family and friends come under this currency. They are like the passengers in your car who, guide, comfort, and, help you through the journey. They push you through tough times and guide you through uncharted areas. Some people even if you have never met them in person, will have a significant impact on your journey. Learn something from every one of them and cherish their memories.
Every passenger spends only a limited time in your car, sooner or later your roads diverge. We should keep effort continuously to strengthen the relationship, or else they will fade. The energy you put into strengthening the connection will transform into the social currency. Call your parents, visit your sibling, text your childhood friend, send a birthday card to your colleague, buy flowers for your spouse, do a daily activity that shows you care for the people around you. Simple everyday activities like these are enough to increase your social currency.
Monetary currency
Monetary currency includes all the money and physical possessions we have accumulated in our lifetime. Concerning the car analogy, it supplies us with fuel, upgrades parts, provides maps, and helps in repairing. It is essential to have monetary currency, but there is a tendency to earn only this form of currency, leaving all others. Our current society also judges us mainly by the success in this form. Imagine if Steve Jobs did not co-found Apple but lived happily with his family. None of us would know him nor care for what he has to say.
This currency has an incredibly unique property; it is transferable from one person to another. All other forms of currencies cannot be transferred; you have to work hard to earn them. But there lies a catch, even infinite fuel cannot move a terrible car, and a lazy driver – “The mileage of an idle car is always zero”.
Spiritual currency
Spiritual currency is the most elusive and subjective form. It is like an invisible passenger sitting in the back seat of your car. At times we glance at the rear-view mirror only to find an empty seat. We can neither see nor hear it but only feel the presence in moments of absolute stillness.
Some say it does not exist; some say it is your true self; I choose to believe the latter. So, what purpose does it serve? No one knows precisely. But the weight of it reinforces all other forms of currencies. It Strengthens your social ties, sharpens your mind and body. Meditating daily for 20 minutes will earn you enough of this currency.
And finally align your compass every single day, how to do it?
After completing your professional work for the day, ask yourself, if I only got 24 hours to live what will be my greatest regret. Invest time on that regret and realign yourself. It will put your car back in the right direction.
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