Two ways life fills us with value
Two Kinds of Gifts
Life hands us treasures in two distinct ways. Some are given: they arrive without our effort, woven into the structure of existence itself. Others are created: they emerge from our own hands, imaginations, and labors. Together, these two streams make up the bounty of being alive.
Think of sunlight, oceans, mountains, friendship, love — none of us invented these. They are given, waiting to be discovered and savored. Now think of novels, symphonies, skyscrapers, scientific theories — none of these existed until human beings created them. They are the fruit of imagination and effort.
Both streams matter. Together, they make life more than survival. They fill our days with beauty, meaning, and possibility.
The Beauty of What Is Given
We don’t need to earn sunsets. We don’t have to engineer laughter, or design the chemistry of coffee beans, or program the instinct that makes a dog wag its tail when you come home. These are gifts that come with the package of being alive.
Given treasures remind us that existence is not barren. Even before we make anything, life is already abundant. We get to taste fruit we did not plant, breathe air we did not invent, bask in the beauty of galaxies we did not spin.
This abundance can humble us. It can also awaken gratitude. We are participants in a banquet prepared long before we arrived. And we are invited to savor it.
The Glory of What We Create
But human beings don’t stop at receiving. We shape, mold, and make. We turn clay into pots, rhythm into music, pigment into portraits, syllables into poetry. We process the coffee bean into a stimulating elixir. We take the raw materials of the given and craft them into new forms. Indeed, this is how we are able to survive and experience the “given” values of life.
Our creative impulse is not superficial. It is central to what it means to be human. Other creatures survive, but humans produce. We invent bridges to cross rivers, cathedrals to honor mystery, novels to explore the depths of the soul.
Creation is one of life’s greatest joys because it allows us to participate in the unfolding of reality. We are not just spectators of the world; we are co-authors. And every act of creation, however small, expands the treasury of life for those who come after us.
Why Both Matter
If we only had the given, we might become passive, dependent, unchallenged. If we only had the created, we might become robot-like, anxious, or exhausted. But together, they balance us.
The given keeps us grounded: there is wonder all around us, just in existing. The created keeps us purposeful: we must earn life through effort, and there is joy in creating and being purposeful. To live well is to receive gratefully and to create courageously.
Examples All Around Us
Look around and you’ll see the interplay of given and created everywhere:
- A garden begins with soil, rain, and sunlight (given) — and then becomes a work of cultivation, arrangement, and artistry (created).
- A friendship begins with the given fact that two lives intersect — but it flourishes because of the created acts of listening, laughter, loyalty.
- A piece of music begins with the given physics of sound waves — and becomes a symphony when human beings arrange those sounds into harmony.
This interplay makes life endlessly fascinating. We inherit, we respond, we add.
A Personal Practice
To honor both kinds of treasures, try this exercise:
- Notice one given gift. It might be the sky above you, the warmth of your coffee, or the fact that you can read these words. Pause to feel gratitude for it.
- Notice one created gift. It might be a song you love, a building you admire, or a recipe passed down. Pause to appreciate the creativity behind it.
- Add one of your own. Write a note, cook a meal, solve a problem, make something small. Contribute to the treasury.
Over time, this practice cultivates reverence and participation — the two attitudes that make life feel full.
Closing Thought
Life is precious not only because of what it gives us, but because of what it lets us give back. The world arrives already rich with value, and then invites us to multiply that richness with our own creativity.
We are heirs and artists, inheritors and makers. And when we embrace both roles, our lives overflow with meaning.
