Is your collection worth it?

I'm fascinated by life and the way people live. My age (3 dozens) is not such that I can claim to have seen everything life has to show. But I have seen enough to share a perspective on what is a worthwhile collection in life?

My earliest memory of a collection was when I was seven years old. I had a cousin who collected board games. Every time I went to her house, she showed me a cabinet full of those fancy games. I was not allowed to touch most of them lest they get spoiled. First lesson about collection is that people get more joy in showing it off than in using and sharing.

When I was in primary school, there were kids who collected stamps and coins. I collected coins for a few years before handing it over to a younger cousin. In high school, my classmates focused on collecting marks/grades. Teachers and parents encouraged it. I also collected marks and grades during these years. Only much later I learned the second lesson that focusing only on the gross (marks and grades) makes one lose focus on the subtle (learning and knowledge).

In the adolescent years I had a friend and another cousin who collected porn movies. They told stories about the effort it took to get these and hide it from parents. The third lesson was that collections of certain kinds give you more stress than joy. People collect it regardless.

In college the focus was on collecting grades and publications in academic journals. A few people dedicate time to collecting romantic dates in the initial years. The typical male to female ratio in an engineering class is 6:1. So one can imagine the effect this skew has on the dynamics. In the final year of people collect internships, recommendation letters, job offers etc. The fourth lesson was that some people have multiples of what they need and some don't have even one.

Joining the workforce gives buying power and opens up new vistas for collecting. People collect money in banks, shares, mutual funds, cars, gadgets, houses, dresses etc.

At work people collect performance ratings, travel opportunities, promotions and power. The company where I work encourages collecting patents and publications. The fifth lesson is that a big collection of above things doesn't guarantee happiness. Collecting more doesn't send joy levels skyrocketing. It creates more stress than joy.

We live in the age of social media where people collect followers and connections. There is an aspiration to collect views, likes, comments and shares for what one posts. The lesson here is if the intent is to learn from others and share value, then the more the merrier.

What collection is worth it?

People

At different points and places in my life I have come across people who are gems of humanity. They are living examples of how to be in a situation and a source of inspiration and guidance. Be aware of such people in your lives, stay in touch and let them know what they mean to you. Be on the lookout to identify any human gems which cross your path.

Problems you are solving

To know a person, know the problems he/she is solving. You are as good as the problems you are solving. It could be as big as world peace or as small as a broken button on your shirt. It could be problems in the workplace or problems in personal life. What matters is are you acting on it?
What you have solved in the past is an ego trip and what you will solve in the future is a hope. If you are only talking about a problem you have that is complaining. What problems you are solving now is what counts. And there is no dearth of problems to solve on the planet. So each one of us can take up as many as we like without worrying about depriving others.

Experiences

Thinking about collecting about material possessions makes people anxious. Collecting them makes people stressed. After collecting people become indifferent. Experiences, for example a beautiful holiday with family, are different. It gives excitement when you look forward to it, when you go through it and when you reminisce about it.

Skills

Learning to cook, sing, dance, draw, play a musical instrument, a new language etc. opens up mental blocks. It make you a better person. There is no limit to how much better we can get. Having wider and varied skills gives more options to express ourselves more. I don't yet know of a person who regrets having many skills.

Good Karma

Last but not the least, it is important to be a do-gooder. At work I'm accountable to my employer for my actions/omissions. Likewise am I not be accountable to my creator, whatever that is, for my actions throughout life? If yes, then I better have a decent list to show when my game here is over. The simplest way for that is helping/serving others in whatever way I can.

May you collect worthwhile things in your life!

 

PS. Originally published on January 25, 2016 on LinkedIn.