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Feyisayo Anjorin
Johannesburg
South Africa

Freelance Director, Afro-Carribean Media Group

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If we do not treasure the precious things, what would our life be like?

Sometimes we are distracted and begin to do the convinient things; even if we know them to be destructive.
We build walls against truth as if we could change a lie to the truth.
Sometimes we are ignorant; sometimes we just choose to be stubborn against the truth.

But we know what is precious; we are just usually too lazy because some precious things are fragile to keep, while some would not be destroyed by raging fires.
The hardwork in some precious things is the removal of dross.
It takes hardwork and sacrifices to retain treasures,

The precious is precious and simple honesty will reveal it.
What would be our lot if we do not find peace in our heart that everything we treasure is worth it?

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Linda Taylor 50+
- +1
Aug 20 2012: "The hardwork in some precious things is the removal of the dross." I love this line! Simple, true, poetic.

The only things that are really precious to me are people: family, children, a few close friends. And I have been with many, many of them during the removal of the dross as they have with me. And what is left is purer and finer after.

So if I did not treasure the precious, I would have to remove my own dross by myself. I do not think I would survive the process.

Things that I hold precious are only precious because they remind me of someone. Like a little enamel bowl my grandmother gave me when i was little. It has no monetary value, but my grandmother was poor and it was a huge gift. I am still honored every time I see it and it brings happy memories of a simple time. But that bowl could get lost or destroyed but the memory of my lovely grandmother will be with me until my memory is no more.
Colleen Steen 500+
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Aug 18 2012: Feyisayo,
If we do not treasure the precious things what would our life be like?
I say that there would be no "life".

To me, everything that is happening in the moment is precious and a treasure, including the challenges that may not appear to be special. Each and every moment provides an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve as a human being, so I am grateful for each and every moment. All the "things" in our lives help to create the "scene".

When we are living life mindfully aware, we no longer take things for granted. We no longer do what is convinient, or act/react from a place of "stubborn", as you suggest, nor do we tend to be lazy, because on many levels, we are evaluating, and creating.

I do not perceive this as "hard work", but rather, most natural enjoyable way to genuinely experience "life" and the life adventure.

I agree with you..."The precious is precious and simple honesty will reveal it". My personal truth, is that every moment is a precious treasure, everyone and everything in that moment is part of the whole:>)
Thanks for asking the question:>)
- Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
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  Aug 18 2012: Colleen, Thanks for your response. Every experience in life has its own riches and potential; as long as one learns from it and keeps on moving with optimism.
  - Colleen Steen 500+
    
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    Aug 18 2012: I recognize this to be true:>)
    - Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
      
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      Aug 19 2012: Colleen, what do you think is our acceptable input in giving every precious thing its due?
      I'm talking about our effort to do the right thing(assuming there is a 'real' right)
  - Colleen Steen 500+
    
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    Aug 22 2012: Feyisayo,
    I believe "acceptable input" may be very different for each individual, and change from time to time, activity to activity?
    
    You are an actor, director, creative, so I'm sure you will understand...
    I worked with a wonderful director on theater productions several times. He gave some wonderful advice about creating the "scene", which I applied to my personal life. One thing he said, is that it takes as much energy to create a quiet scene as it does to create a more energetic scene. If we are fully engaged in an activity, the "acceptable input", in my perception, is everything I have to give in that particular moment.
    
    I love this quote, which is implanted in my brain, and refered to often:>)
    "Out of its abysses, unpredictable life emerges, with a never-ending procession of miracles, crises, healing, and growth. When I realize this once again, I see the absurdity of my belief that I can understand, predict and control life. All I can really do is go along for the ride, with as much consciousness and love as I can muster in the moment."
    (Molly Young Brown)
    
    Sometimes, when I feel like I do not have what might be considered an "acceptable input" of energy, I think about this quote, and remember the director's advice. Sometimes, the "accptable" thing to do, is simply go along for the ride, mindfully aware, with consciousness and love for the moment.
    - Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
      
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      Aug 22 2012: Thanks very much Colleen.
elizabeth muncey 10+
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Aug 17 2012: Yes the 'lot' in your last sentence is a terrible thing indeed. Referring to another conversational thread about ethics started by a young person in 8th grade at school who was asking about ethical frameworks. First find out what is precious to you, then be aware it might noit be what is precious to other people. Be aware that society might have one set of visible rules about what is precious and another set for people who are important to that society. For my examples I chose bankers, whose actions are sanctioned as long as they do not damage the economy, surgeons who are meant to preserve life re 'The Surgeon's Prayer' and the individual whose own rights are denied for the greater good. I have a friend who collects gold coins and is very proud of it because of the real poor performances of other investments such as property, pensions and shares. Personally my gold is my family and my educational certificates. You are right that 'truth' is also a social construction. In order to deal with overwhelming individual pain the psychologists use a term 'ego defenses'. A community tends to call out the army. There is a really good TED thread at the moment about global warming. An author is asking how can I get people to understand the very real threat of rising sea levels. A scientist is between a rock and a hard place, getting involved with organisations like Greenpeace compromises their 'neutrality' but the global political arena is seemingly ineffective. It is up to an individual to try and keep in touch with the real global news through a quality newspaper or television documentary rather than sound-bite cable-style t.v, where the content is driven by what makes the company money (sport and drama). U.S.A., is famed world wide for it's culturally rich products but in real time a bit like an arrogant teenager by much older cultures. There is literally not enough time to think, just work. See Daniel Youngs thread about feeding the urban poor.
James Zhang 30+
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Aug 17 2012: I think it would be a really depressing and boring life if you didn't "treasure" the precious things in your life. A good way to measure "preciousness" is when you lose it, because you will definitely feel its impact. Maybe people are "lazy" because they didn't realize just how much value the precious thing has to them, and only until they lose that precious thing, it will kick them in the face as a wake-up call to reality.
- Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
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  Aug 17 2012: Certainly, the loss of a treasure is always painful; because it becomes so easy to accept them as precious.
- Colleen Steen 500+
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  Aug 22 2012: James and Fayisayo,
  So, the beneficial thing would be to treasure everything in the moment?
  - James Zhang 30+
    
    +1
    Aug 22 2012: Pretty much I guess, because there are good qualities to everything and everything has value.
    
    Or like maybe just imagine a life without that thing you are treasuring and how it would affect you/everyone else.
    - Colleen Steen 500+
      
      +1
      
      Aug 24 2012: I agree with you again James:>)
      I also believe there are good qualities to everything, and everything has value, if only for the purpose of something to learn. In order to perceive life in this way, we need to be open to ALL the possibilities:>)
      
      I think/feel many times people take very precious things for granted (those we love, drinking water, food, shelter, etc.). I find that appreciating and being mindfully aware with gratitude, in each and every moment enriches my life so very much:>)
      
      Washing dishes, for example, means I have food to eat, water to drink and use for washing dishes. Doing laundry, means I have water and cloths to keep the body warm. Cleaning the house means I HAVE a safe shelter and roof over my head....I could go on and on. These are everyday treasures that many people in our world do not have, and I enjoy recognizing the gifts in my life.
      
      Good point James...imagine a life without all the things we have which we may take for granted.
Robert Winner 50+
- +1
Aug 17 2012: If I read this right you are not asking what is precious but what if those were not treasured and held in high regard.

As most of us with children would have to consider if we conducted ourselves as the animals world does. My "bird" matures .. kick it out of the nest. When hunter animals mature they go to another area and extablish a "zone" that is theirs.

So I have a daughter .. I educate her ... kick her out ... she mates and has a family ... lives in another cave ... even if close to my cave does not associate .. My mate and I live as long as we can hunt for food and defend our territory ... no emotional attachments just a dependency.

Feyisayo, This thought brings me down. I think I will call my kids and grandkids and have a talk with those I hold precious and treasure.

All the best. Bob.
Debra Smith 200+
- +1
Aug 17 2012: What is precious to me? It might kick start this if I share those things:
my kids, my country, my world, gentle people living their lives in peace, learning in freedom, people being allowed to worship something that they believe is very good in peace and freedom, freedom to share my own perspective of the world, photographs of times and people long gone, the chance to put my life force behind the people and the things in which I believe.
- Robert Winner 50+
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  Aug 17 2012: Deb, What would your life be like without these "precious" items.
  
  Bob.
  - Debra Smith 200+
    
    +1
    Aug 17 2012: My life would be bereft, I think but remember all of those things and everything else were just about gone for me a few months ago. I still had that one ingredient- LIFE itself.
- Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
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  Aug 17 2012: I think you are treasuring the precious things around you. I think you are grateful for the blessings you enjoy.
  - Debra Smith 200+
    
    0
    Aug 18 2012: I truly am. I also realize that I am a tiny dot in the universe - with a voice.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
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Host

Aug 17 2012: Do you think, Feyisayo, that there are few enough precious things that people could practically speaking attend to all of them with full energy? Or do you think individuals need to specialize in working toward a few precious things?
- Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
  - +1
  Aug 17 2012: I think we should apply wisdom and give every precious thing its due care. The greater the treasure, the greater the worth of hardwork and sacrifice that is required to retain it.
  - Fritzie Reisner 100+
    
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    Host
    
    Aug 17 2012: Starting with the idea of every human being as precious and perhaps most other living things as well, what would it mean for you as an individual to give each individual on Earth who is precious and each animal, tree, and shrub the hard work and sacrifice they are worth?
    - Feyisayo Anjorin 50+
      
      0
      
      Aug 17 2012: You have not raised any concern that wisdom can not handle. Humanity has only progressed by doing its best. Sometimes we fall short; but we should always get our priorities right.
    - James Zhang 30+
      
      +1
      
      Aug 17 2012: I think that there can only be a few handful of precious things to a person's life. We are only human beings, and we only have a finite amount of time.
      
      Everything is precious and has value imo, but there are only a handful of them who I have spent time with (like my family and friends), and those guys are more precious to me than others because I've bonded with them, whereas I haven't with most others in the world. We aren't Gods, if we were to value everything with equal "preciousness," then with each new additional precious thing, the previous loses some value until eventually nothing would be precious anymore.
      
      I think something with 0 value/preciousness is something that didn't exist at all to begin with. Maybe preciousness acts like conservation of energy, where preciousness is not lost, but conserved. It'll simply take on a new form.
    - Debra Smith 200+
      
      +1
      
      Aug 17 2012: What an insightful and important point James makes above :Because I have bonded with them. This thought holds me very accountable.
      I have to always slow down and remember that bonding does not really change who that person actually is - it changes who I actually am.
    - James Zhang 30+
      
      0
      
      Aug 17 2012: "bonding does not really change who that person actually is - it changes who I actually am."
      
      Dang, that's really deep...

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