THE BANK ACCOUNT

Penny For Your Thoughts

By: Nancy Whitaker

We all dream about winning the lottery or some big sum of money. That would be nice, but nine chances out of ten it won’t happen. We often talk of what we would do if we won a big sum of money and our dreams are probably a lot alike.W e all want new homes, cars, clothes, trips, and to pay off our debts. I don’t expect to win any sum of money, but I recently read an article that made me think of a “prize” which we all have.

Here is the prize: Each morning your bank will deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use. However, this prize has rules and they are as follows: Everything that you didn’t spend during each day will be taken away from you.  You may not simply transfer money into some other account, you may only spend it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day. But, the bank can end the game without warning; at any time, it can say, “Game Over” and close the account. The thing is you would not get a new account. What would you do each day with your money?

Of course, we would buy anything and everything for ourselves and our loved ones. We may even spend the money on people we don’t even know and we would make sure to use it all. Why? Because we knew that tomorrow we would get our bank account replenished the next morning.

Actually people, this is a real game and each of us is already a winner of this “Prize.” However, we just can’t seem to see it. What is this prize? The prize is “time.”

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life. When we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us so, what we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.  Yesterday is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time without warning.  So what do you want to do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. 

So, have that piece of chocolate, go on a nice trip, take a nap, go and see a movie, tell someone you love them, dance in the rain, color in a color book, make a cup of hot tea and curl up with a good book. But, make sure you laugh, smile, be happy, love deeply and enjoy your 86,400  seconds a day. Because the bank may close tomorrow.

When I read this about time being like a bank, I decided to do all of the above, plus, I do hear that huge candy bar calling my name. Who knows my bank account may close tomorrow. 

The author of this piece is unknown but it was found in the wallet of Coach Paul Bear Bryant, Alabama, after he passed away in 1982.

Some of us have bank accounts that last longer than others. How do you spend your time? Do you want to indulge in that chocolate or cookie? Let me know and I’ll give you a Penny For your Thoughts.