Key takeaways
- Warren Buffett says the two things he values most are time and love.
- Each of us has the same 24 hours in a day and none of us can buy love.
- Give some careful consideration to how you spend your time and who you spend it with.
“He who has his health has a thousand dreams. He who has not has only one.” That’s a proverb from a very long time ago about what I believe is very important to all of us: our future.
I bring this up because of what the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, said at last year’s Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. At the meeting, he’s typically asked a lot of questions; last year, someone asked him to share what he values most in life. And at age 88, he responded, “Two things you cannot buy: time and love.” That’s quite an astute statement. As always, the oracle comes through.
No matter what our state in life, we all get the same amount of time—the same 24 hours each day. There’s no way to get any more of it, so it all comes down to how we use it in our day-to-day lives.
Then there’s love. We’ve seen numerous studies about love that make it clear how important it is to have. Many of the studies involved babies who are orphaned and left alone with just minimal care, such as food and diaper changes. When they didn’t receive love and touch, they died, even though they had their other needs met.
Ultimately, we know that everyone needs to have love and it’s certainly not something we can buy. It’s not something that shows up all of a sudden. It develops in your life over time. So as you’re going on your travels and going about your daily activities, consider what Warren is really talking about.
How do you spend your time? Do you spend it doing things you enjoy? Do you spend it with people you love and who love you? It’s important to think about this because these two things, ultimately, are really all that matter when we come to our final days. And this advice comes from a gentleman who’s worth billions upon billions of dollars. He’s really getting back to basics here and addressing the basic human characteristics of the life we live in: time and love.
So as you’re moving through life and discerning what’s important, give time and love some consideration instead of all the other distractions that get in the way. It’s another great answer from Warren Buffett for you to think about. Until next time, enjoy.
