This quote was coined by an economist, but it actually extends beyond the economy into daily life. Essentially, it means nothing is free.
Of course, you probably already know that. But what about the free samples in the store? Or the birthday lunch that your best friend paid for?
There is Always a Cost
While goods or services can appear to be free of cost at times, like the samples or lunch I mentioned earlier, there is always a cost to everything. Even the free samples took money to make. The lunch paid by your best friend still cost money; the only difference is that you didn’t pay for it.
Now let’s say a friend took time out of their day to help you fix your kitchen sink. What’s the cost? That seems to be free, right? Again, if you look deeper, it’s not. The cost doesn’t always have to be material, it can also be time or energy. So, when someone comes to help you, they are spending their time and energy.
Everything has a cost. And the biggest cost for everything is our time.
Consider What Your Cost Is
Whenever you are given the opportunity to enjoy something for free, whether it is a free sample or a free YouTube video, consider – what is the cost you are paying? Perhaps it is as simple as eating something you don’t really want to (in the case of a free sample) or being sold a thousand-dollar program you don’t need right now. Or maybe it is your time and energy.
While I say this, sometimes the cost is worth it. Maybe you are spending your time, but you are gaining knowledge or entertainment or relaxation.
The bottom line is, be aware of the costs that you may overlook at first.
Motivate Yourself
When you realize that nothing is free, and you need to spend your time and energy, you can then motivate yourself more effectively.
For example, let’s say you want to finish writing a book, but you keep procrastinating. You can’t figure out why, because you are doing it for yourself, so it feels ‘free’.
But, based on the concept that nothing is free, you now realize that even YOUR service (writing) isn’t free. Knowing this, you can now come up with different ways to compensate yourself for your own service. So, you might ‘pay’ yourself with a dessert, or a walk along the beach. Maybe you ‘pay’ yourself with an internal reward, such as praise or a sense of achievement. At its core, this is the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Be Grateful
And finally, practice being grateful for everything around you. Even if it seems free, like free WIFI at the store, someone put in their time and energy to make it available to you.
Understanding that nothing is truly free, we can begin to appreciate the little things we often overlook. We have an opportunity to be a little more mindful of who is paying the cost, and what the cost is. And a lot of times, the cost is worth it!
