Auction Sites

Oh, my goodness! Have you seen this auction site on the web where you bid in real time, and every bid is one penny? Just before the auction closes, bids come sailing in, one click at a time, resetting the clock on the auction to 10 seconds left. It’s positively mesmerizing. 5 seconds left… 4… 3… 2… <click-Bid!> 12 seconds left… 11… 10… 9… Bidding on iPods, Kindles, jewelry, gift cards, etc. It fascinates me. It’s really a matter of stamina and timing. Can you stand to watch the bidding for longer than the next person? Can you use hours of your life, in nine to twelve second increments, watching a clock tick, tick, tick away and have your hand on the mouse, ready to click at the last possible second? The Kindle bid I was watching continued for over two hours, with no real progress, and is still going as I write this. There are people (me included) who literally sat, poised at their computers, for who knows how long?

We really aren’t good at time spent vs. benefit ratios, are we? I hear people all the time say, “I’d love to learn to play the guitar, but it would take me years.” Yes. But what will you do with that time if you don’t spend it learning to do something you would love? Or, “I can’t believe I spent five years in that failed relationship.” Ok. But what would you have done with that same five years, if you hadn’t spent it learning and loving and getting to know yourself better? And really, what are you doing with this year, other than spending a lot of time lamenting what you feel didn’t go your way? How productive are you being with the precious few hours of the living-my-dreams time on earth you have left?

What if you chronicled how you spend your time? Are you engaged in something that matches or moves you closer to all you want to be, have, and do in this life? I recognize that some things are just maintenance… We have to keep the house clean so we can stay healthy, for example. We have to make some kind of a paycheck to keep the electricity flowing to our homes. We have to get physical rest. Other things, though, the quality-of-life choices we make, really should be made consciously and with a clear idea of the most beneficial ways to get to our dreams.

There are ways to spend your time that come with great benefits, and there are ways to dwindle time away, hoping for some kind of free, magical win. Life isn’t structured to give you free, magical wins, even if an online bidding site tells you it is. There’s always a cost-to-benefit ratio. Start thinking of your time spent as a cost, and make sure you’re getting the greatest benefit of moving you toward everything you want to be, have and do in this lifetime. Spend less time worrying about what didn’t go your way, and more time creating the life you could thoroughly enjoy. Spend fewer hours wishing, and more hours making things happen. If you are missing love in your life, love more, by being open, warm, friendly and available. If you are missing a place you feel at home, create a space that is your own by adding things you like to see: flowers, pictures, colorful rugs… invite people to come to see you. If you want a Kindle, work and extra shift or cut the neighbor's lawn. At least those hours are spent helping others, increasing your own experience, and giving you a sense of accomplishment.

There are still people bidding on that same Kindle. In that time, I’ve shared my thoughts with you, reached outside of myself to attempt to strengthen my relationships and understanding of people, and investigated how I have been spending my own time.

I win.