The Word View: What investment means to me

Generation after generation, people are advised to — secure and

invest

money wisely for the future, always save up for a rainy day (though it hardly rains where I live!), always keep aside money for an emergency and save `40 and spend `60, if you earn `100. This is what most of us have been taught since the time we’ve known the value of things around us and the concept of money. While some consider land as a wise investment, most ladies in every household would agree with the mentality that gold is the best

investment

(it’s a win-win !). Some homes with financial geniuses believe that securities and banks are the way to go, while some others believe that it is not all that important as we live in a day where it’s the survival of the fittest and wealthiest. Apart from all this are the savants who believe that we don’t know what is in store for us tomorrow and we do not even know whether we are going to be alive, so live life to the fullest and do not worry about tomorrow.

While all the above is true in its own right ….what is investment, truly?
When I was around five, my grandfather used to make me read all the hoardings while we drove around places. He would sit next to me and ask me to read out all the captions loud. He would also make me read headlines on first and last pages of a newspaper every morning before I was packed off to school. Bed time was never complete without reading time. By default, I follow all this with my two boys. Of course, I get asked by my witty, older one “Why can’t I read the news on my pad or on twitter?” To which, my answer always is “read it from the paper”. He reads the headlines every day before school and helps his brother, too, now. There is always a reward when they finish a book and every night they engage in quality reading time. To me, time spent that way is an investment, too.

Gone are the days when young parents had all the time under the sun to sit with their kids. Time is racing fast and to cope with that we’re always on our toes. In today’s scenario, quality time with your loved ones and kids is what I think as the perfect investment. Spending time with your spouse and making dinner together as you both talk about things that matter is an investment. Taking time off from your busy schedule to visit your parents or an ailing aunt or your in-laws is an investment. I have a few things I have listed below which I consider as my ‘golden investment’

• Going to bed really early, at least one night of the week
• Taking a vacation just by yourself once a year (even if it is at the nearest hotel and even if it’s just for a couple of days )
• A master health check-up every year once you turn 30
• That once-a-day phone call to your parents
• A good pair of walking shoes (which you’d make sure doesn’t just lie on the shoe rack for the rest of the year)
• One cheat day with regards to one’s diet

There is so much more to life than just surviving and merely existing. All that you need to do is to pause for a moment, let go of all the madness around you and simply breathe. There is only so much you can do and so much you can change. Invest your energy in happiness. Look at your flaws and disappointments as challenges to overcome. Finally, invest in living your life to the fullest.

(Views expressed above are the author's own)

The word view by Aishwaryaa R Dhanush, Dancer, director, author,

Aishwaryaa R Dhanush

dons many hats, and here she is, our columnist, too!