Investments

I have been thinking a lot about the parable of the talents.  You know, the master gives each servant a certain amount of talents and tells them that he will be back in a year to see what they have done with them.  I know that "talents" was a term of money.  But, I think of it as so many more things as well.  Time.  Devotion.  Gifts.  And, yes, money too.  Everything that I have.  Everything that I am.  I invest it all.  Or I hide it.  Bury it.  As the one servant did in the story.
I am learning about wise investments.  The kind that have nothing to do with money.  The kind that have to do with emotions.  Time.  Feelings.  I am learning that in order to be a wise emotional investor, I MUST invest in those who think that I'm worth investing in as well.  That doesn't mean that there can't be those in my life that are "charity cases."  Pro bono, as it were.  But, overall, my emphasis should be on investing in those who also see me.  Encourage those who also build me up.  Give time to those who are glad to give time to me.  It seems that I have spent much of my life trying to be enough so that someone would think that I was worth it.  The thing is.....I AM worth it.  I don't have anything to prove.  But, I DO have gifts to share, love to give and dreams to fulfill.  And, I do have the ability to see the gifts in others, receive their love and help them to achieve their own dreams.
I have spent WAY too much time in a poor investment.  It pretty much depleted my pocket book and almost took my life savings.  Glad that I caught on before that happened.
But, that's the past.  From here on out.....I will invest wisely.  And remember to be invested in as well.
grace to you.