Much like you cannot drive on a road map to get to your destination, or eat a menu at a restaurant to taste the entrées, I’ve come to find that you cannot define wealth by the amount of money you have.
Although there’s a general consensus about what the word “wealth” means, the definition can vary to different people and cultures.
So what is wealth? Is it a big car and a big house? Or is it a quiet farm with a well-fed family? Or perhaps wealth is simply the company we keep and the gratitude we have for our lives each day.
Even more rudimentary, is health our primary wealth? So important is health that without it one cannot properly enjoy monetary wealth. Or perhaps the health of our planet, and the natural world we’re a part of, and the abundance of life and animals within it?
Personally, I believe that it’s not (just) money that makes you wealthy, it’s how well you treat yourself, the quality of the experiences you have and the people/animals/plants you share them with. In many ways, I’m already as wealthy as I want to be!
What’s beautiful about life is that your journey is unique and different from mine, and different from your next door neighbor’s or even your closest friend, and yet they are all similar in that we are all sharing the human experience.
So what does wealth mean to you? I challenge you to look at your own life and see how you are already wealthy today in ways that you normally look forward to the future to achieve.
When you’re done reading this, stop for a moment to reflect and appreciate who and what you are, as well as the skills and relationships you already posses. It can be a very profound experience.
Go for it!