I just came back from a long walk, during which I was pondering ROI -- a business term meaning Return On Investment. It occurred to me during this pondering that some of my greatest joys in life these days -- the things that bring me the greatest "return on my investment" of time and energy and attention -- cost me absolutely nothing in the first place.
One of these high-ROI activities this morning was the joy of walking itself. The temperature today is 9 degrees Celsius (48 Fahrenheit), and the skies are overcast but not rainy. In Spain, I would have called today's weather dreary. But here, especially after several weeks of snow and ice, it's like Spring. The result? WAY high ROI -- zero investment, high return. Another high ROI item I noted on this walk were on my feet. Since moving here I've had occasion many times now to wear my 20-year-old hiking boots. In many ways, these boots represent possibly the highest ROI I have ever received from an item I purchased. They were made in Spain, by Vasques, and are heavy- duty high mountaineering boots, waterproof and with steel shanks to provide the extra support one needs when carrying a heavy backpack. Even more important for me, they have a high arch, which I need to walk long distances comfortably. These boots have been my fellow travelers on the paths I have trod (literally) for 20 years, and they're still hangin' in there. No appreciable wear on the soles, very little deterioration on the linings. Some craftsman in Spain put a great deal of care into these boots 20+ years ago, hoping that they would bring joy to some hiker who wore them. Today as I walked I thanked him for the impeccability of his craftsmanship and for his intent. Based on things posted here, some seem to measure the ROI Factor in their lives against Big Goals. "Am I flying yet?" "Am I fully enlightened yet?" "Did I and my fellow butt-bouncers humbly cause world peace yet?" Cool, if that's the sorta goal that appeals to you and inspires you and brings you joy. I was once like that myself. But I found that the drawback of always measuring one's fulfillment against Big Goals is that the "payoffs" (ROI) were few and far between. How often, after all, do you get to feel joy at realizing your enlightenment? :-) These days I find my joy in the little things, like a nice walk on a non-snowy day, while wearing a pair of nicely-crafted boots. For some, this might not seem like much of an accomplishment, or much of a joy-causing event. For me, it works just fine.
