Value

"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." - Oscar Wilde

It seems we have reached a point where just about everything we interact with, see and touch in our world has a price. This is no longer limited to commercial goods such as food, clothing, shelter and services. Anything can be bought and sold now – last year, a man even put his soul up for auction on eBay. It was actually purchased, for $504 by an evangelical minister from Seattle.

An inherent part of putting a price on every element of our lives is assigning value to them. We have become habituated to seeking out sales and bargains. If we find an item for sale at one price, it must be for sale somewhere, by someone else, for less. What does this indicate about the item's true value? Is it worth what the first seller was charging, or, since someone was willing to sell it for less, was it worth merely the lowest amount someone was willing to trade for it?

For example, you can find a knock-off of the exclusive Hermès Kelly bag for $300. The original costs around $5,000 and it is pretty much impossible to find a new one, legally, for less. The question is, do the original and the knock-off have the same value? Obviously, no. Furthermore, if I buy a new, authentic Hermès bag and then turn around and sell it, completely unused, for $1000 less, does it have the same value when I sell it? Again, no. Although nothing changed in the bag, nothing was added or taken away – I am selling it for less. I have decreased its value.

Now let's look at another example: tuition at a Harvard Graduate School costs a student upwards of $35,000 per year. A merit scholarship might allow another student to attend the same program for $5,000. Do both students' educations have the same value? In this case, yes, they might. Why is this? The scholarship student is paying the difference, just not with money. In physics, we learn that everything is made of energy. Money is made of energy. So the scholarship student is contributing $5,000 of energy for his education in the form of money, and $30,000 of energy for his education in a different form. The scholarship student is perceived to have contributed energy to his past studies and future efforts. His level of intelligence, test performance, and other achievements are valued in this case at $30,000.

Let me present one final example: A caring citizen buys a large, warm blanket and gives it, for free, to a homeless person. Does that mean that the blanket has now lost all of its value? No, the blanket has not lost value. In fact it might have increased in value. Why is this? The blanket wasn't free. It was paid for, just not with money. The citizen perceived a value in giving the blanket away. The feeling that she experienced as a result of her gesture was, to her, worth at least, if not more than, the amount she spent buying the blanket. In a way, the homeless person, or you might say the gesture itself, paid for the cost of the blanket. To the citizen, the blanket might have even been a bargain. She might feel that she was paid more by the emotional reward she experienced from her gift, than she paid for the blanket in the marketplace. So in fact, the blanket in this context had an even higher value than its price tag.

Like an ad we might see in the brilliant MasterCard marketing campaign: Blanket: $10.00. Giving one away to someone who is cold: priceless.

In this holiday season, it is so easy to get caught up in the price of things. Is your gift expensive enough? But that is not the question you should be asking. Sometimes the best gifts do not have a price in the marketplace. Gifts given in the form of time and effort can be worth so much more than gifts purchased in 10 minutes at the local superstore. Since time and effort have an energy associated with them, these offerings have a much greater value than anything you can afford to buy with money.

The willingness to offer yourself - your heart, your time, your energy – is, if you will, money in the bank, simply in a different form.

You may not place a great deal of value on the offerings you give from your heart, but believe me, the people who love you, do.

Though we have not quite reached December, the Christmas shopping spirit is moving into full swing. Take a moment to consider whose birthday we are celebrating, and what type of gift would have the most value at His party: one you purchased at a store, or one that you offered and paid for from the wealth in your heart. The more generous you can become in spirit, the more you will be able to give from that source.

To some, those who give the most costly gifts are the wealthiest. To others with a different point of view, inspired by the most fundamental law of physics, those who give the most of themselves are the richest of all. Fortunately, we can all have an unlimited fund in that type of bank, overnight. All it requires is a change in, well, heart.

Happy Giving.

Nicole Grace
November 2007

"It is the giver who should be grateful." – Seisetsu (zen master)

Satori Sciences is pleased to offer a new, extraordinary workshop that can increase productivity, improve work quality and contribute to a significant decrease in stress.

"When I was working on Wall Street, I would often head over to Trinity Church at lunchtime and, after munching a quick bite on the way there, would spend 30 - 45 minutes sitting quietly in one of the small wooden chairs of their tiny meditation room. This tranquil time, however brief, gave me a tremendous respite from the intensity of my day. Leaving the darkened, hushed interior of the church, I would make my way back to the office, replenished and ready to take on the challenges of the office with a renewed energy, balance and enthusiasm. I know many others that have found unique ways to renew their energy during their lunch break, some who found a quiet place to visit, as I did. With layoffs, threat warnings and increased pressure to break productivity records, it is an appropriate time for us to offer this very special new training for corporations and individuals: Peace Meal." - Nicole Grace

Peace Meal is a 45 minute-long meditation seminar, designed to accommodate busy workers on a tight schedule! During the workshop period, one of our exceptional master instructors, each with over 12 years experience of enthusiastic discipline, will teach participants stress-release exercises and non-denominational meditation techniques, as well as provide one or two guided meditation sessions. Held in your corporate offices, or in an outside location provided by Satori Sciences, the workshops will begin promptly at 12:10 p.m. or 1:10 p.m. and will conclude promptly at five minutes before the hour, ensuring attendees have time to return to their offices after their lunch hour has ended.

The only limit on participation is the size of the room provided. We recommend scheduling a series of four consecutive, weekly meetings at minimum to ensure that the participants have time to practice the techniques on their own, while learning how to integrate the material into their daily lives.

For more information about these sessions, or to schedule a meeting at your location, please contact our sales headquarters: info@satorisciences.com or (800) 384-8815.

This unique half-day workshop provides attendees with a powerful introduction to meditation and mindfulness, taught by instructors with a minimum of 12 years of training and discipline in this art. The regular practice of quieting the mind has been proven to significantly reduce stress and feelings of negativity, as well as increase intellectual capacity and problem-solving abilities. The Art of Meditation offers a practical, non-denominational approach. (The Art of Meditation can also be combined with our Three-Fold Path to Mastery seminar for a transformational 1 1/2 day experience.)

During the powerful 4-hour session, attendees will learn:

• Several extremely effective techniques for quieting the mind
• Mindfulness
• Avoiding The Passion Reaction
• How to incorporate meditative practice into each day

*Breaking News*
Mastery At Work: 18 Keys For Achieving Success, Fulfillment And Joy In Any Profession has been declared the winner in the Best Books 2006 Book Awards in the category of Business/Motivation, by USA Book News.

From USABookNews.com:
"Mastery At Work is a rich and unique read. Combining Buddhist and Eastern traditions with modern day know-how, Nicole Grace offers readers an extremely satisfying well-written book sure to challenge and inspire you!"

Read more press and reviews about Mastery At Work:

New Connexions Magazine - "Editor's Picks"
"Combining spiritual techniques with business practices, Nicole Grace recognizes that leading an impeccable working life helps us to achieve personal growth. Her secret key to success-work as a spiritual practice and spiritual practice as work. Whether you work on Wall Street or as a street vendor, Grace's techniques of 'acting as if,' detachment, and focusing like a warrior will help you to create a fulfilling work and personal life."

USA Book News
Mastery At Work is an enlightening and informative new book that is transforming the way people think about life and work. Drawn from proven business strategies and ancient spiritual teachings, Mastery At Work presents practical techniques anyone can embrace and use to work more productively and with greater skill, as well as to lead an uncommonly joyful life, regardless of daily circumstances. Based on The Three-Fold Path to Mastery philosophy created by the author, Mastery At Work describes the pathways that can lead to a life of success, expertise, balance and fulfillment. ["USA Book News covers unique books from both the mainstream and independent press. We look beyond the best-seller lists to find fantastic books that are worthy of attention."]

Balanced Living Magazine
Nicole Grace is one extraordinary woman: a former Wall Street executive and an ordained Buddhist monk and a black belt in karate and a former symphony orchestra violinist! More important, however, is the fact that her accomplishments are demonstrations of the program she proffers in her first book, Mastery At Work. Drawn from her experience in multiple spiritual disciplines, including martial arts, Grace distills her impressive 18 Keys into a Three-Fold Path (Soft Skills, Professional Skills and Continuous Improvement). Taken together, they comprise a powerful life-way, as appropriate for the longtime seeker as it is for the spiritual novice.

Almost all of us work, and work (especially nowadays) can be fraught with difficulties: lack of meaning, lack of security and frustrating relationships, to name a few. Grace, through this prism of work, is providing the public at large a process into deeper experience and understanding. This is a book you can give to anyone as an ultimate, self-guided, personal-growth method, whether or not they've ever uttered the word spirituality. To the degree that they embody and express the 18 Keys, they will open inner doors, and what they learn and experience will find its outer reflection. Mastery At Work is a book about mastery of life. It belongs on every bookshelf.
- David Langer

Satori Sciences offers life-changing, career-inspiring seminars. Find Out More