Creativity and energy

Yesterday I got a scam phone call that made me think, "What a waste of creativity and time." Since I don't answer cell phone calls from numbers I don't recognize, the call went into voice mail. Here's what I heard when I pulled off my voice mail, though.

In a fairly strident and forceful voice, a woman said, "This is the IRS. We've been trying to get hold of you for some time. The IRS is bring a lawsuit against you. You need to call back at this number immediately." Uh, I don't think so. For one thing, the IRS doesn't call us. The IRS sends very official looking letters and documents. For another, a lawsuit against me? For what? I pay my taxes, not only on time, but early, in fact. In addition, this is the first such call I've received; so I doubt the IRS has been trying to get hold of me for a long time.

Here's what comes to mind for me at such scams: I think of all the good that could be done in the world if all those who scammed the rest of us in any way at all put their creativity and time to good purposes. I'm thinking the world would be in much better shape. We all would be. The scammers surely would feel better about themselves, wouldn't they?

I can't control what these scammers do, however. What I can control is how I use my creative energy and my time. Are there things I could be doing to help others and serve the community that I'm not now doing? Might I carve out some time to do more? Can I really be creative in what the needs are—and what talents and resources I might have that can help? Instead of just pointing fingers at these scammers, I can use the experience to reflect on how I'm using my life in service to the greater good.