Everything costs something

The triathlete is exhausted at the end of their race because they just swam, rode and ran further than most of us can fathom. It costs them physical energy to do so.

The performing artist is drained at the end of a performance because they just sang, acted and danced in front of hundreds of people for hours. It costs them emotional energy to do so.

The leader’s brain feels like a potato at the end of a day of meetings because they just showed up to serve generously. It costs them mental energy to do so.

The same is true of the books we choose to read, the podcasts we choose to listen to, the curious unsolicited feedback we’ll undoubtedly receive and the random debate we might have about whether chocolate should be stored in the fridge or cupboard (for the record: the correct answer is always the cupboard).

These all cost something.

That no matter how or where we choose to show up or what we choose to consume, everything costs something.

Knowing that it’s worth considering: what is the cost of me doing this? And: is what I’m doing worth that cost?

Photo by Hafidh Satyanto on Unsplash