Investment:
1. “the action or process of investing money for profit or material result.”
I remember the first time I considered what the word investment meant. I was a teenager, and prior to this always thought investments only happened on Wall Street. I was young, and naïve. But one weekend while dirt bike riding with my dad and friends, I heard the word used in a peculiar way. While taking a break one of the riders made a comment about the hydration backpack he was wearing, which allowed him to drink water seamlessly during the ride.
“Yeah, it’s pretty nifty. A good investment,” he said, before we tore back onto the trail.
Given my interests and maturity at the time I did not understand that when a person makes a purchase of anything, they are essentially making an investment. It was the first time I heard the word investment being synonymous with purchase or buy.
On the surface it’s easy to learn about the quality of investments. But as you look deeper things get more complicated. For instance, what is a wiser investment; going out to lunch with friends at a popular restaurant and spending $20 to eat for a day, or using that money to buy groceries and eating for a week? Well, first let’s consider the pros and cons of each. In the broader picture the investment made at the restaurant isn’t just about eating, is it? It’s as much about building friendships, networking, and expanding your familiarity. But if you're saving money for a vacation or new toy, then spending that $20 at the grocery store would be the better value.
2. “a thing that is worth buying because it may be profitable or useful in the future.”
Now I am not giving you financial advice. I am only suggesting you reconsider what the word investment means and how you understand it.
Investment is a special word because while you can easily replace the words bought or purchased with the word invested, you cannot do the same in reverse. For instance, to say you invested your time in learning to speak a new language is an understandable statement. I’m aware few people would put it this way, but it is in fact what occurs when a person takes on any new hobby or skill. They invest their time and energy, their life, in learning it. But can you say you bought a new language to speak? Or you purchased the skill to play the guitar?
You see what I’m getting at?
When you put into context and understand that an investment is a sacrifice or an exchange of one thing for having the pleasure and opportunity of another, you begin to see the value of your time and energy more clearly. For someone who enjoys social settings, or wants to work in an environment where relationships are important, a 20$ lunch, whether they can afford it or not, is an investment opportunity. But if socializing is not a priority for someone, perhaps spending $20 on a bouquet of roses for their girlfriend is a smarter option. Sure, the roses will die, just like the food eventually goes down the toilet, but it was toward a bigger, more lasting cause.
3. “an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.”
I invested a good part of my early 20s reading the Bible and fulfilling journals about my own grievances and revelations. They are the symbolism of my reckless youth in exchange for an awareness of God that is irreplaceable to me now. Those journals are proof of my purchase, and my devotion has profited me in more ways than I can mention. It also got me reading other books as a hobby, and now reading is a joy. I’ve never read my journals, and I don’t know if I ever will.
I admit, there were times it pained me to wonder what possessed me to spend those years in such a conservative way. I did not invest in the typical social encounters, interesting friendships, or exciting experiences that people that age are supposed to. Those are important years, and there I was reading, writing, and philosophizing. I now know it was just my preferred lifestyle.
My parents divorced when I was 15 and I found my refuge in music. One genre in specific was classic rock. I stayed awake all night listening to it on my headphones. I knew for certain I wanted to form a band of my own one day. When I got my first guitar for Christmas, I hooked it up without the slightest clue how to play it. My mother offered to buy me lessons, but I denied them. I had a bit of anxiety about it. I was such a proud youth and knowing so little about the instrument made me embarrassed for some reason. It is the first known instance where my pride hindered my progress. I thought I’d learn on my own. That was my first mistake. I wanted to shred like the legends but didn’t want to humble myself to learn how.
I’ll never forget the night I found the perfect tone on my guitar amp. It was sick. Deep, heavy, and grainy—just like what I was listening to. Then, in that very moment I got a call from a friend asking why I wasn’t at the football game. I lived right down the street from the high school and could be there in 10 minutes. I remember making that conscious decision, balancing my social life with personal ambitions. I thought to myself, “well, I’ve found the tone, I’ll have it tomorrow and keep practicing then.” It was that easy to walk away from it. I packed the guitar and amp in the back of my closet, where it remained for years.
I made that conscious decision to invest my time and energy in something that would not matter to me in the years to come. Because none of those friends are in my life anymore. But here I am today struggling to learn what I could have learned back then, when I had the chance. Not only to invest in lessons, but in something that would be important to me later in life.
Our investments ultimately define who we'll be in the future. You can invest your time and money in fashion, accessories, and hip bars and clubs every weekend. Whether it’s to see a DJ or band, meet with friends, or spend time in a trendy atmosphere, something there gives you value. Sure, the drinks may be expensive, but that’s part of the prestige of associating there.
You can invest your time and money in a new skill or hobby, such as learning a new instrument, how the stock market works, how to cook, or taking college courses towards a new career opportunity. You may not feel the immediate rewards for your investment and at times it may be stressful. But who was ever great without the investment it took for them to become great? And who was ever great that later regretted their investment?
It’s wise to know what we can afford to invest, and when it’s worth it. Identify with your desire and ask if your investments today are going to get you where you want to be tomorrow. With that said, there is so much out of our control it is utterly useless to stress all the time whether we are making the right investments or doing enough. Sometimes all we can do is a little. But little by little big things are accomplished.
An investment is a meaningful thing. We make an investment when we want something in return. The more we invest the more we want to get back. But unlike the stock market, you aren’t at risk of losing it all when you invest in yourself. You aren’t at risk of losing anything except time and energy. And time is not something we are at liberty to keep anyway, so we might as well put it toward something that will profit us.
I will end with a favorite story of mine. It is paraphrased from how I first heard it. It is about the famous painter, Pablo Picasso. One day he was in a café and was scribbling a sketch on a napkin. He was getting ready to leave, and right before he threw away his napkin a woman recognized him and asked if she could have the sketch. Pablo said the woman could have it for $10,000 dollars.
“But I watched you sketch it, it only took you 5 minutes!” The woman proclaimed.
“No. This took me a lifetime,” Picasso replied. He kept the napkin and left.
The more you invest in yourself, the more value you store.