By Blake Flannery
Article from HubPages
Raise Your Risk and Raise Your Return on Investments
Every transaction of money becomes an investment. When you buy a bottled water, you are investing your money with the hopes that you will gain satiation, which is well worth the $1.25. If you drank the water and it did not quench your thirst, then you would realize have made a poor investment or need to invest more.
Each human has investing value that cannot be summed by a number representing dollars or some other currency. The true worth of each human is not even measured by time. Your worth may include what you have been and have done in the past as well as what you will be and will do in the future.
Let's examine some of the investments you can make without having any money at all. Although many people think risking money is dangerous, there are many more risky things to invest. The following investments are much more risky than money investments, but the return on those investments is unlimited.
Invest Your Time
Once extremely risky and dangerous investments is your time. Since we have a finite, extremely limited amount of time to invest, our time becomes our most precious investment. Our time is more valuable than money. Time may be money for some people, but money will never be good enough to replace time.
Let's say you live 78 years, an average life span in the U.S. Each second that ticks by you are investing your time in something. Whether you are working, sleeping, eating, watching t.v., making money, playing an instrument, playing video games, you are investing. You only get one second at a time to invest, which is good. This will prevent you from spending it all in one place like blowing your allowance. No judgment of spending your time wisely will come from me. I realize that I waste mine on poor investments, so I won't tell you how to invest your time. I only ask that you ask yourself what you are investing your time in.
Invest Your Energy
Just like time, we all get a certain amount of energy to do the things we decide to do in life. That energy can be invested on raising kids, inventing things, working, and even having fun. No matter how many Red Bulls you down, your battery can only push you so far. You have to take breaks and recharge. This energy is closely linked to time, but different.
Some people like to spend their energy in a state of negativity, constantly complaining and worrying. These people not only invest their own energy poorly, they steal energy from those around them. Ask yourself how you want to invest your limited energy.
Invest Your Creativity
We all, as humans have the ability to create. Some animals can create, but humans are the best. I am amazed by the technological, intellectual, medical, and artistic advances I have seen in my nearly 30 year life span. Any second of any day, we can create. String together a few clever words and you have the ability to entertain, comfort, or educate another person. Investing your creativity can be done in a number of creative ways.
I choose music, lyrics, humor, and education as my ways of investing my creativity. Often I ask myself if I should be writing music, humor, or serious hubs like this one. Ask yourself how you should invest your own creativity.
Invest Your Soul
Investing your soul sounds like a terrible horror cult classic movie where people trade their souls for fame and fortune. We all have a soul to invest. It's that part of us that allows us to love other people. Investing your soul means purposefully investing your most valuable resources for a purpose much larger than you, or not.
Do we want to invest our soul for a larger good? What are our intentions when we invest our time, energy, and creativity?
Investing What You Have
Volunteering is a great way to invest your "talents."
How Did Jesus Invest?
Jesus, who invested everything 2000 years ago, told a parable found in Matthew 25:14-30 about how to invest. He suggested that risking what you have is better than playing it safe and hiding what you have. I have been hiding what I have, and I need to start being more risky with what I have to invest.
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
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