Have you ever found yourself waiting for a special occasion to finally wear your favorite silk scarf, or perhaps waiting for the perfect moment of stability before deciding to pursue a long-held dream? D.H. Lawrence’s words, Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved, feel like a gentle tap on the shoulder when we are being too cautious. To me, this quote suggests that life isn't a bank account where the goal is to accumulate as much security or as many milestones as possible without ever actually using them. Instead, life is a precious currency that loses its value if it just sits there, untouched and unspent. We are meant to circulate our energy, our love, and our experiences through the world.
In our modern world, we are often taught to save everything for a rainy day. We save our best energy for when we are less tired, our best words for when we feel more confident, and our best adventures for when we have more money. But the irony is that the rainy day often arrives when we have become too exhausted to enjoy the sunshine. We spend so much time preparing for a future that hasn't arrived that we accidentally skip over the beautiful, messy, and vibrant present that is right in front of us. We become curators of a museum of potential rather than participants in the joy of living.
I remember a time when I was so focused on building my perfect little nest that I forgot to actually enjoy the warmth of it. I was obsessed with planning every detail of my future, making sure every resource was tucked away safely. I was so busy saving my strength for a big leap that I missed the small, beautiful hops I could have taken every single day. I was treating my life like a hoard of gold rather than a flowing river. It took me realizing that a river only stays fresh when it moves; if it stops to save its water, it becomes stagnant.
As I sit here in my cozy corner, I want to encourage you to look at your life through a different lens today. Is there a small joy you have been putting off? Is there a kind word you have been saving for a more convenient time? Please, don't wait for the perfect circumstances to be fully alive. Take a small, brave step toward something that makes your heart flutter. Spend a little bit of your spirit today, because the beauty of life lies in the spending, not the hoarding.