Many years ago, I read an article about Jamey Johnson in Men’s Journal. Because he seemed like a cool dude, I decided to look into him. This was a little odd for me, because Johnson is a county music star and I wasn’t a fan of country music. Through Johnson, I ended up learning to enjoy country music.

There are some incredible life lessons in his music.

In fact, one of his songs completely changed my life…

THE DOLLAR
Daddy hugs his little man
Says, “son I’ve got to go”
And he pulls out of the drive and disappears
As they walk back in the house
The young boy asks his mama
“where does daddy go when he leaves here”

Mama tells her little man,
Your daddy’s got a job
And when he goes to work they pay him for his time
Well the young boy gets to thinking
And he heads up to his bedroom
And comes running back with a quarter and four dimes

And says, mama, “how much time will this buy me
Is it enough to take me fishing or throw a football in the street
If I’m a little short then how much more does daddy need
To spend some time with me”

The young boy tells his mama
“Now I know daddy’s busy
‘Cause most times when he gets home it’s dark outside
But tell him I’ve got me some pennies
Saved up from the tooth fairy
And I keep ’em in my piggy bank and I believe there’s thirty-five

And mama, how much time will that buy me
Is it enough to take me camping in a tent down by the creek
If I’m a little short then how much more does daddy need
To spend some time with me

Mama, how much time will this buy me
Is it enough for just an afternoon a day or a whole week
If I’m a little short then how much more does daddy need
To spend some time with me”

Mama takes her little man
Sets him on her lap
And starts dialing up some numbers on the phone
She says, “daddy come home early
You don’t have to chase that dollar
‘Cause your little man has got one here at home”

If you have kids, these words could be life changing. They certainly were for me.

This song really drills home where our priorities should be. I’ve actually made several BIG life decisions from the lesson delivered. I’ve let go of wanting the big fancy home. I’ve let go of driving expensive cars. I’ve let go of trying to impress others by living expensively. I’ve even passed on numerous work and business opportunities.

The biggest change I made after really learning the lesson in this song is that I stopped trading my time for money. I finally realized that my time was far more valuable than money. Up until this point, I valued money over my time.

In the song, the little boy is willing to trade the little money he has for more time with his father. The boy valued time with his father more than any amount of money.

Something clicked after thinking about these words and I finally realized I had been making a very poor trade in my life. I was trading something more valuable (my time) for something less valuable (money).

Instead I decided to do the exact opposite. I decided to start trading my money to buy time. I began trading something less valuable (money) for something more valuable (time.) Now I can spend a lot more time with my children and I’m so very thankful for the lesson delivered in this song.

Guess what?

Your time is FAR more valuable than money, too.