The three life currencies

 Today, I'm not sure why, but I didn't sleep very well. I found myself tossing and turning in bed at 3 a.m. Maybe it was because of some reports I have to do for work, which are due today. Or maybe it was because today, in Lisbon, a big storm (thunderstorm) hit the city, but without very strong winds. Just heavy rain... Somehow, one of the two, or both, may have contributed to my not resting so well. I went to the kitchen and made some tea with ginger and fresh turmeric, as well as a cinnamon stick. It felt really good to drink that huge cup of hot flavored water. I can say that for me it is perhaps even more enjoyable than coffee at times. After making my tea, I came to the office and turned on the computer. I know this is the worst thing we can do, because it “destroys” all the melatonin secreted by our pineal gland... which is so essential for us to fall asleep again. I ended up logging into Hive, and I was reading tarazkp's post titled “Was it Worth it?” I loved, as I almost always do, the way he manages to dissect so elegantly and poetically a topic that is so important, and that we end up putting under the covers so we don't have to think about it too much. Is all this worth it? And how are we going to see the other side if there is no memory construction that can be considered something we are aware of? All these questions took me back to my high school days, when I used to discuss these and other equally philosophical, or even existential, questions with my philosophy teacher. Yes. That's right, it wasn't with my Sunday school teacher, nor with my friends... There was something about my teacher that aroused my curiosity to listen to him. To absorb practically everything he had and liked to share with anyone who was willing to listen. Many of my classmates simply said that he was a bit boring, and that his classes were just a babble of vain ideas... Little did they know that years later, at least for me, his words and teachings would become part of the pillars of my being. Of my identity. If we don't make the effort to invest in self-knowledge, we will not be able to gain a broader view of life and the world itself. There was an idea that this teacher often shared with us. And it makes a lot of sense. As you would expect. He said that in life we have three currencies or fundamental values. ### Our time, our money, and our knowledge. If we need more of any of these currencies, we have to use the other two to acquire or buy it. And he said it worked more or less like this: If you want to have more time for yourself, then you have to use your money and your knowledge to SAVE time. If, on the other hand, you need more money in your life, you have to use your time and your knowledge to get paid, and that way you can have more money. If, on the other hand, you need more knowledge, then you have to INVEST your time and your money in education. He concluded by saying: “But remember that you are constantly spending your time. It is your most precious asset and currency. You will always spend it, whether you like the idea or not. So spend your time wisely.”  ^{Photo taken by @xrayman at 6am10 5 November 2025}