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Your Most Valuable Resource – Musings from an Incarcerated person

“You reap what you sow.” In the old days this was the axiom that was fed to the youth to groom them into hard-working, self-reliant people. The idea is that You Get What You Give – if I sit on my behind all day and do nothing I can expect to get nothing in return; or, if I give you X-amount of work, you give me X-amount of compensation for services rendered, and rightfully so!

In the world we live in today it is this philosophy that has built the “Wealth Of Nations” that Adam Smith predicted some 200+ years ago. But it doesn’t end there. There’s been an evolution to this capitalistic mindset: fast forward from the “old days” to our present state of affairs and the new axiom is “ROI,” or Return On Investment Capital, sometimes referred to as Return On Equity Investment.

The thing is, in this fast-paced, financially driven existence we call “Life,” it is no longer efficient to receive X-amount of dollars for X-amount of effort. It’s as they say, “Time Is Money,” and we need more buck for our bang.

Now, just as the axioms of old evolve into the lifestyles of the new, so, too, does the efficacy of our prized productivity. To the business gurus and financial impresarios, phrases like “compound interest” and “capital allocation” are not just colloquialisms of investment-speak; they are now the do-you-no-wrong, guiding lights of maximum efficiency.

And herein lies the money: for us average folk, or even those on either side of the social spectrum who are unawares, we need to understand that although we may not all be businessmen, our life is OUR business; how we manage it, or how we invest our time effort, is on us.

In life, we are all allotted the same amount of time; 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours per day, and 365 days per year. So, the only difference between us and others of the same age who are more successful than us, however critical, is that they use their allotment of time better than we do, henceforth, bringing them greater returns on their investments of life effort. This is instructive because it brings to light our actual productivity, or lack thereof, in comparison to others. Now comparing ourselves to others can be destructive, but to make it constructive, we must pair this understanding with action – persistent, vigilant action.

Think about this: the average American INVESTS 4-6 hours a day in various activities of an inert variety; watching television, listening to music, or engaging in social media, among others. Quick math puts the annual time invested at around 1800 hrs. At a wage of $15 an hour this is equivalent to roughly $27,000! If we were to take that 4-6 hours a day and invest it towards something – anything – that could produce some kind of meaningful return, how much better off would we be?

How’s that for a comparison?

These are the questions that are not only pondered by the most successful people but answered and acted upon as well. That’s what puts them in the top percentile: they figure out the best way to get the highest returns on their most valuable resource – themselves ! Our actions, when primed proficiently, have the ability to acquire massive wealth and success, as proven through the many examples of self-made success stories we see and hear about so often. How we choose to move and groove in our own lives, however, depends on us. We just have to get busy. Think, educate yourself, and take action. It’s that simple. 

Incarcerated since 2013 at age 25, I am an Artist, Thinker, and Writer serving a 30 year sentence for a shooting that resulted in zero injuries. After getting in some trouble in 2015, My sister (and motivational Guru) helped me understand that I had something that most people in the free world didn’t: Time. Time to read and learn as much as I wanted. As I wasn’t as enthusiastic about my circumstances as she was, her reasoning was sound – to evolve as a human while the free world parallel to me evolved as well, because if I didn’t make this time count I would be doomed for failure. Since then I have spent a majority of my time reading nonfiction books which then developed a yearning in me to share her message with others to grow and evolve through writing and other forms of creativity. Currently housed in Yakima County Jail, I wrote this piece after reading about Warren Buffett and his philosophy on life.

Find Thomas Lee Weatherwax on FB/TikTok Wax Amillion, IG @Wax_Amillion

3 Comments

  1. Emma October 15, 2024

    Beautifully written.

    Keep Your Mind On This Path ❣️

  2. Amanda Kae October 16, 2024

    You are such a beautiful soul sir. Keep pushing forward.

  3. Katie c October 22, 2024

    I love you wax

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