Our Richest Asset: Why Gaining Back Time is the Ultimate Act of Self-Care

In a world that constantly encourages us to accumulate more. More things, more achievements, more obligations. It’s easy to lose sight of the one commodity that is truly finite and irreplaceable: Time.

For those of us who value well-being, authenticity, and creating a peaceful sanctuary, this realisation becomes even more profound. If we are aiming to create a life filled with joy, freedom, and peace, we must become vigilant about how we spend our most precious resource.

The Great Wealth Game: What Would You Buy?

I’m sometimes asked a hypothetical question: "If you suddenly won a vast sum of money, what would you do?"

My answer used to be simple: "Nothing. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and the people I love. I have everything that truly matters." And while that sentiment is true in that things don't improve life, recently, I've had a deeper, more honest answer: I would buy time.

Not a clock or a calendar, but time freed from life's essential maintenance. I would hire help for the cooking, the cleaning, the gardening, and the errands, all the necessary tasks that steal hours from our day.

Why? So I could use those reclaimed moments to paint, be out in nature, capture images, or simply spend quality time with family and friends. To trade the stress of a to-do list for the profound joy of being truly present.

Remembering What Matters

This desire to buy time is rooted in a fundamental truth I used to share with parents who were struggling trying to ‘do it all’.

Children won't remember the dust-free surfaces or the weedless borders; they will remember the time you spent together.

I know that life’s storms are inevitable, and what sustains us is the memory of shared moments. The quiet walks, the deep conversations, the silly laughter. The time a parent built a sled, the impromptu snowball fights, the simple joy of a seaside holiday.

As we age, this principle can become our north star. Our goal - to be available, available for reflection, available for connection, and available for the things that feed our soul.

Your Gentle Invitation to Pause

We won't all win a fortune to outsource our chores, but we don't need to. This hypothetical "wealth game" is simply a powerful tool to remind us of our priorities.

This is your invitation to protect your time. Your life is valuable, and the pursuit of well-being requires focused attention.

• Embrace the Minimum: Give yourself permission to keep the "life maintenance" to an acceptable minimum. The clothes are clean, the house is tidy enough, the garden is alive -that is sufficient.
• Live in the Now: The life you are meant to be living is not waiting for a perfectly clean house or a future retirement. It is happening right now, in this moment.
• Invest in Connection: Choose the quiet walk, the simple phone call, the hour with a friend over the pursuit of perfection in a chore.

My art is created from such moments. When you invest in a piece of art that speaks to your soul, you aren't just decorating a wall; you are curating your environment to actively support your emotional well-being and remind you of where your true wealth lies: in the moments you choose to live.

What’s one thing you can put off today to gain back an hour for your peace and joy?

A Moments Rest