"It's relatively easy to work out the prices of things because they can be measured, weighed, or appraised. But life's greatest treasures are intangible and, therefore, immeasurable. I can borrow a cup of sugar, but not a cup of love. I can buy four pounds of beef, but not four pounds of forgiveness. And I can rent an 800 square foot apartment, but not 800 square feet of wisdom.

It is easier to sell shoes than to sell life insurance because shoes are tangible; their value is obvious. But the value of goodness, or virtue, may not be immediately or readily clear. So, it's not surprising that, as Oscar Wilde quipped, "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing."

When commenting on the tangible versus the intangible, Albert Einstein said, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." So, it's time for us to ask ourselves, "What counts? What are the true, meaningful, and lasting values?"

"Man has been called a rational being, but rationality is a matter of choice - and the alternative his nature offers him is: rational being or suicidal animal. Man has to be man - by choice; he has to hold his life as a value - by choice; he has to learn to sustain it - by choice; he has to discover the values it requires and practice his virtues - by choice. A code of values accepted by choice is a code of morality."

Yes, a job, money, and possessions have value, but their value is in what they add to life. And what they add is spice. They represent the salt and pepper of life. The meat of life consists of the intangibles: friendships, relationships, love, service, creativity, civility, kindness, and spirituality, to name a few. Our values form our character and define us. They shape who we are. They are what make us memorable. Our values are what make us valuable. They give our life meaning, purpose, and direction. They guide our choices and direct our lives.

It is because of their importance that we need to pause occasionally, take stock of ourselves, and make sure we haven't lost sight of what is really significant."

Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object." So, when we center our lives on values, we become valuable. The value of life, then, is not determined by its length, but how we put it to use. Wealth is not riches; possessions are not abundance, and self is not everything, but values bring meaning, purpose, and direction to life. A modest, simple life filled with meaning is worth far more than an elaborate, splendiferous one that is meaningless."

-R