I bargained with life for a penny

There’s a poem which I’m very fond of, from Jessie Rittenhouse. It’s present in many New Thought books and it’s quite a hymn to manifestation.

Here it is:

“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.”

Particularly the last two lines are very powerful. It really opened my eyes the first time I read it.

We are often trying achieve menial and inferior goals, while we can aim much higher – or at the very least – we can aim towards different and fulfilling paths.

If you hate your job or you’re doing just because you have to, you’re not going to try to manifest a bigger paycheck. You will only be doing the same thing you hate but for more money.

More money might be good, but spending your life doing things you hate it’s not worth any amount of money.

What is “more” on your own goals, only you can know. Not everyone needs to be a millionaire or famous in society. “More” doesn’t mean more money or fame.

In fact, many people ask for money and fame only because it’s what they see that society values. So they think it must be good. Yet, this ignoring their own true needs and wants.

Not everyone is suited for fame, or to become a big time billionaire CEO. Not everyone (truly) wants that – even if they say they want it.

I can usually spot this straight away.

We are indeed “bargaining with life for a penny”. We are asking for small goals, or goals other people define for us, or that society define for us, instead of bargaining for what truly fulfill us.

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