How could one improve one’s life, without paying one cent extra? Murray Williams is ready to give it a try.
Cape Town - Every now and again, radio stations challenge callers to phone in and hum the theme tunes for the most famous TV shows. Like: who can remember the jingles for Magnum PI? Or Airwolf, or Knight Rider, or the A-Team?
Of all of those ’80s action shows, my best was MacGyver.
The IMDB entertainment database explains: “Angus MacGyver is a secret agent with a difference. He is quiet, mild mannered, deeply principled and refuses to carry a gun on his missions. Fortunately, the last detail is unimportant when compared to his astounding mind. Drawing on a vast practical knowledge of science, MacGyver is able to make use of any mundane materials around him to create unorthodox solutions to any problem he faces.”
Typically, MacGyver would find himself in a pickle, with seemingly no resources. And he’d “MacGyver” a solution with whatever he had. Genius.
I thought about MacGyver this week – as many parts of the world run out of money. From homes to entire countries. The situation is bleak.
As individuals, our starting point is usually: “To make my life better, I need this, and that, and that.” A new car, a new house, or at least renovations, a better TV, new clothes, a cellphone upgrade. And all those things typically require money.
I wondered: How could I improve my life, without one cent extra? Many would think this impossible. But let’s try.
One could start getting fit again. Not at gym (money), but by jogging and doing push-ups (no money).
One could stop smoking, drink less. Go to bed earlier, read more. Watch less junk on TV, finally start sorting those hundreds of family photos on the computer – protect those precious family memories forever.
One could visit Gran more often. Spend less on home security, join the neighbourhood watch. Plant a small veg garden, whatever will grow best.
Drink more water. Get up early on a Saturday morning, and cycle to a beach. Or a park. Or take a walk, before the world wakes. Turn off the geyser.
Sort out old clothes. Learn a new language. Make new playlists for the drive to work. Make a bird bath. Or a place to put the crumbs from the toaster. Stop house-hunting for a bigger garden – play soccer in the park.
The list is endless. One realises one could develop an entire turn-around strategy for one’s life – improve one’s health, fitness, stress levels, family life, knowledge, education, quality of living – without spending a cent.
But it requires a fundamental acknowledgement: You can’t rely on money. You need to look elsewhere to find hidden “levers”, to unlock existing resources, find hidden treasure – whether you’re a person, a family, a company, an administration, a country.
Everyone’s a potential MacGyver. Maybe even an alchemist.
* Murray Williams’ column ’Shooting from the Lip’ appears in the Cape Argus every Monday.
Cape Argus