There are many definitions of wealth, but the one I seek is a wealth of living. You see, I have worked with the destitute and I have clients who are financially very successful, and I find that they have one thing in common: wealth is about how much love and peace you carry in your heart. You see, my friends who live rurally may not have a stock or 401K plan to their name, but often their daily lives were rich with meaningful work, with families who depended on one another and who faced extremely challenging lives, yet found peace in their daily faith in God, their purposeful daily lives, and often in their longevity of a life well lived. I have worked with extremely successful people who are both living a wealth of living live and those who despite all money available, are bankrupt in their daily living. Who we are, how we engage life too often is measured in our financial statement. I believe that our wealth of living is measured in how much peace we hold in our hearts and minds daily and how much love we can show to others.
As September begins I am taking moments of each morning to start the day by focusing what I am thankful for. This month I will also focus on executing three tasks for others in my household without conversation to engage my thankfulness for their presence in my life. Part of my morning ritual for years has been to write three thank-you notes each week to those who have simply added wealth to my life through their presence and to tell them why they have meant much to me. These practices are not about attention or politeness, they are about enacting appreciation and value for the wealth that engages my daily living.
To love, to share, to serve, to learn, to know each other deeply is one of the great privileges of living. It is a wealth I am devoted to living. What is your idea of a wealth of living?
