The expensive problem with free resources

Have you ever registered for an event because it was free? There’s nothing wrong with it. When the person who is giving is ready to give it for free, why should we hesitate to sign up and avail of the opportunity?

Were there times when you had signed up for free and then finally never turned up for the event or went quite late? If so, did you inform the host that you were unable to make it? Or was it easy to assume that there was no such liability considering that it was anyways free?

Would anything have been different if you had paid a huge sum for it or if you were dealing with a very powerful leader or royalty on the other side?

Should manners and courtesy be reserved only for power or royalty and not used mindfully across all of humanity? 

What made you sign up? Was it curiosity? Whether it is to the gym, the library or anything, mere curiosity or wanting to learn or do something is not enough sometimes. It has to be backed with a conviction of purpose – as to why you want to do what you want to do, and from there stems your commitment to your purpose which will help you pursue what you want to do giving it all you have and all it needs.

Don’t do things because:

• either you are free or,
• that is free or,
• you are getting it for a throwaway deal,
• it sounds fancy
• that’s expected by society
• you have been addicted to collecting information/knowledge thinking someday it might come in handy

Do things because you value something and because you feel that will add value to you too. Otherwise, in a world of endless opportunities, we misuse and abuse all of it rather than make any good use of any of it.

Our mind gets diverted when we look for options without having an idea of what we are looking for. Having too many choices may not necessarily lead to clarity. It can simply make us feel overwhelmed.

Stop looking for free resources. Look for resources – where free, respectfully use it, where necessary, pay or surrender something of value and use it so that you get the most out of it. Either way, remember everything is a resource. So value and cherish it. 

Constantly looking for free resources creates a problem because:

1. We are operating on a scarcity mindset
2. With a scarcity mindset, the emotion attached is fear – fear of losing.
3. Receptivity to good things and learning is low when one operates out of fear
4. Because of a scarcity mindset, we might overdo – like binging, hoarding or accumulating skills, resources or knowledge just because it is free and we have a fear of missing out.
5. This mindless binging might eat away our time and derail us from doing something else that was necessary.
6. Rather than feel accomplished, we might just go on guilt trips or ego trips at the end of all of these. Both of which act as our adversaries.

Hence, don’t focus on free resources for mental health or well-being. Focusing on helping yourself with the right resources for anything in life.

If you want to receive value, you have to be ready to give value too. When we are not ready to give, we lack the readiness to receive. That’s why even when we go to places of worship they ask us to bring something like a candle, Diya, incense or flowers, not because God needs it (what will God do with it when he is the one who created all of it and can have as much of anything anytime?) We are asked to surrender something of value because once we offer something, we are ready to receive the divine grace and blessings too.

Don’t negotiate with life if you want to learn and make the most of it. Surrender! 

To understand how and when knowledge translates to something meaningful, listen to this podcast:

https://anchor.fm/narmadarao/episodes/Knowledge-is-not-power-unless-you-have-this-e12tbe1