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Issue 439-What is your Name Worth?

Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

march 1, 2023 Issue No. 439

What is your Name Worth?

Who steals my purse steals trash…

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed

Othello, William Shakespeare

 

Today I had an opportunity to consider what my name- and email address- are worth. I was in a grocery store and at checkout they asked me if I was a ‘member’. It is a store I shop in regularly, not weekly but at least monthly. I found myself weighing the options.  Yes, I’d noticed the little yellow tags telling me the lower ‘members’ price so I would definitely save a few dollars. On the other hand, I’d get emails every day. Maybe multiples. If I just relegated them to junk- I might miss sales on items I use. And yet, it seems like extra work. Reading, deleting. I’m not rich, but still, my time is worth something. “No,” I said, “thank you, but I’m not interested.”

How can we claw back our time and attention?

When we scroll through instagram or facebook… we think it is free. But it isn’t, someone is paying for our eyeballs. How many times will you see Jones Road Miracle Balm before you cave? Resist. Every click gives them data, every time you fall down a rabbit hole online, it means more evil distractions will be coming for you next time.

When we spend a few minutes removing ourselves from mailing lists, both digital and paper, we invest in a less cluttered and stressful tomorrow.  When we pause and decline to give our email to go further into a website that promises to tell us what our dominant chakra is, then we are treating our time and attention with a respect that will surely benefit our health and well-being, not to mention every one of our chakras.  When we resist this urge to click on that anti-aging serum, we save ourselves from having to resist ten more tomorrow.

So be cautious with your name, your email and your attention. Nothing in this world is free, and trading your email for the occasional coupon buried in an avalanche of email not only isn’t a very good deal, it also isn’t very respectful.  Your name, your attention and your time are valuable, so treat them as you would any precious thing: with care and thoughtfulness.