Counting the Cost (Week #2)

Purchasing a new car or a new home is very expensive. For most people, they are the largest expenses they will ever have in life. When preparing to make such a big purchase a person must make a lot of preparations. One of the most important aspects, perhaps the most obvious aspect too, is how to pay for the new car or home. Most people would never be able to pay cash for a house. That means there is much to research and plan. Where to go for the mortgage, what the budget is, interest rates, and taxes are among the key parts of taking out a mortgage. Personally, I would encourage anyone looking for a house to compare their current budget and cost of living to what their potential new budget and cost of living will be when they buy a house. They need to be absolutely positive that they can afford the mortgage.

Life too has costs. Food costs money. Shelter costs money. Education, sports, entertainment, and healthcare all have expenses too. It is costly to live. What is interesting is to think about the costs of living an abundant life compared to a "normal" life. In order to live an abundant life, a person must strive to take advantage of every moment and live their life to the fullest. It is not a matter of doing more things, going more places, or seeing more sights, but instead maximizing every moment as it is lived. In order to do more activities or to travel more, the costs add up. Perhaps an airline ticket must be purchased or an admittance fee must be paid. However, when it comes to living abundantly, there are no tangible costs to add up. The expenses that need to be calculated, when considering living an abundant life, are the costs of choosing not to live life to the fullest. One must add up the price of a wasted moment and time that has passed in neglect.

One analogy that may make counting the costs of an abundant life would be to compare it to financial investments. Although there are fees that must be paid for investing, there is no argument when a person is asked whether or not they should invest. Investing is the only wise choice. If a person decides not to invest, they are at the very least, losing the cost of living, arguably 3%, annually. Choosing not to live an abundant life is guaranteeing the loss of time. We must learn the value and understand the cost of living our lives the way we do. We must ask ourselves if we are living our lives to the fullest.