Too often this falls to the realm of pseudoscience claptrap & purveyors of flim-flam. There is, however, a rational approach to making change in your life by a process I like to call a reasonable unreasonableness.
This is Life Alchemy.
But, first, I want to introduce you to this guy. He’s one of the most influential people in all of human history.
We’ve gotten to the moon because of what he dreamt up. We’re currently looking into how the universe will die based on his thinking.
He also proudly died a virgin.
His name? Sir Isaac Newton.
Father of:
Laws of Gravity, Law of Thermodynamics, Law of Motion, Understanding Light, Fluid Dynamics, Calculus,
His work is the bedrock of some of our most valuable achievements as human beings.
He was also obsessed with Biblical Chronology.
There’s another area he devoted a significant amount of his time exploring: Alchemy.
In today’s context, Alchemy is relegated to sorcery, magic, and other fairytale adventures that have no merit. Unfortunately, this is at the detriment of maximizing potential.
Why did Newton write million+ words about Alchemy? What could have possibly driven one of the greatest scientific minds to folly?
Surely it was the counterbalance of ignorance and wrong-headedness to someone who achieved so much? Capacity for greatness goes both ways, right?
Not really.
Alchemy, as it was back then, was concerned with understanding the nature of reality. The fundamental philosophy was essentially “If you understand exactly how nature works, you’ll be able to shape it to your will.”
It’s actually pretty spot on.
Alchemist believed that all matter, and especially metals, were all manifestations of the same spirit or essence.
Gold was considered to be the highest manifestation of this spiritual achievement whereas something like lead was a ‘base’ metal; as in at the base of the hierarchy.
Base: Lacking higher qualities of mind, spirit, or value. Degrading. Inferior.
Debase:To reduce something in value or quality; degrade.
Abase:Behave in a way so as to belittle or degrade (someone)
Alchemists sought to understand how to take base materials and create value.
They believed they would be able to discern the process that was responsible for lead becoming more and more refined until achieving its highest potential; gold.
The method, process, or force responsible for this happening was referred to as ‘The Philosopher’s Stone.”
They weren’t searching for an actual, physical stone. They weren’t some kind of sorcerer version of Indiana Jones on a mission to find the Holy Grail.
The stone was short-hand for ‘the singular process responsible for taking something worthless, and making it valuable.’
When you understand the historical context, and the time they were operating in, it makes perfect sense that Alchemy was a sensible endeavor. It’s proto-science, in a manner of speaking.
But to disregard its message today is to dismiss a powerful rational lesson.
There is an Alchemy that’s alive and well today. To understand its inner workings is to create a life that appears impossible to anyone who doesn’t understand its principles.
Everyone is a slave to its effects, but few master its causes.
There’s a base metal, a philosopher’s stone, and a gold if we want to use this as a metaphor.
The base metal? Time.
Everyone has exactly the same amount. In fact it’s so plentiful that most people waste it. There’s so much time that they can afford to spend it on Netflix.
Time is your Lead.
Useless by itself. Not good for much. Almost anything is better than just having time on your hands. What good is time by itself?
But! There’s that equation you’re ignoring!
Time = Money! “Got you!” you cry.
Not so fast.
If Time = Money, then we’d all be rich. We’d all drive Ferraris, and spend our vacations on one of our several yachts.
So why is time so valuable to some, and not at all to others?
Answer: The Philosopher’s Stone
There’s one thing that can change worthless, abundant time into something valuable. What is it?
Your mind.
That’s it. That’s the philosopher’s stone. Your mind is the miraculous thing that is responsible for all value in the world. All meaning. All worth.
This is why all the internet gurus (real & fake) explain that it’s mindset that’s so important. This is why.
Time is the abundant resource, and the quality of your thinking, imagination, and creativity is the Philosopher’s Stone that will transmute that time into value.
Time = Money is an equation that only holds up if you know how to trade your time for dollars.
Your job is the best strategy that your mind has figured out how to convert time into dollars. Your pay the measure of how effective that strategy is.
Why do some people get paid more than you? Why do some people get paid less?
Your Philosopher’s Stone.
That’s it.
Now, you might argue and say, “People get paid millions for being an idiot! That’s proof you’re wrong.”
No. That’s proof you lack imagination.
Time is your most fundamental resource.
All other value is a function of Time multiplied by your Imagination & Creativity.
Money, relationships, opportunities, etc. EVERYTHING exists solely because of how you spend your time. How you invest it.
How you transform it.
Every action your take is your Philosopher’s Stone in action. Action is the crucible that transforms time into whatever value that action has in the universe. To others.
To you.
You can never get that time back. But, you can make better choices now to get more time later.
This is why wealthy people spend money to gain time.
They’ve figured out how to transmute their time into massive value.
This is why spending time to save a couple dollars is insane to people who have discovered the secrets of personal Alchemy.
Why would you spend days on something when a couple dollars could solve it?
All value is a derivative of time.To put it simply. Personal Alchemy is the process of cultivating your mind to appreciate the incredible value Time already is. It’s ALREADY the most precious resource. It’s just that you haven’t developed the ability to value it.
So, what’s changing isn’t the value of time. It’s you. You’re changing your relationship & understanding of the nature of time.
Your Philosopher’s Stone is transmuting YOU into a more valuable steward of the universe’s most precious resource.
This is the most sane, logical, natural thing in all of existence.
To deny it, argue with it, or ignore it is to make yourself a slave to the whims of others.
Be more than that. Transform yourself.
But act quickly. Time is money afterall.
In my own life, I’ve missed out on more opportunities than not because I was more interested in what something is than what it could be.