How Do You Measure True Wealth?

Is True Wealth:

--the amount invested in your portfolio?
--amount of cash in your bank account?
--the numbers on your balance sheet?
--Or, the level of happiness you experience?

True wealth should not be measured solely by the numbers in your portfolio or balance sheet, it is much more than that. Or, is the amount of money you amass the only key to your sense of self-satisfaction and happiness? If money equals happiness then how much is enough? Hundreds of thousands, a million, ten million or more?

Many people often mention they want to provide everything for their children need to get ahead. Ahead of what? Or, they will say they want to provide every opportunity to their child to help them be successful. They never define opportunity or what success means. These are also the things you hear or read in the news, but no one ever says what these things really are, what they mean. It's like having a dream without the planning that needs to go into making that dream a reality, or knowing how to get from here to there.

Then there are some people who will never be satisfied even when they reach their first goal, and will work incessantly to become even richer never finding happiness during their lives. No one ever says, "I wished I had spent more time at work," yet that is exactly what they are doing, building up regrets.

Fortunately, many people who have a grasp on what true happiness is find wealth in their friends, the community they live in, their education – knowledge, and often the simpler things in life. The world would be a sad place indeed if everyone were in the constant pursuit of endless monetary wealth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the desire to be rich or have wealth. The constant pursuit of wealth is bad when it becomes an all consuming pursuit. But that is exactly what is happening, people are chasing ever increasing amounts of money instead of putting it to work for them.

There are as many answers to how people measure wealth as there are people to answer it, but you will find many similarities. True wealth is having peace of mind, being free of debt and enough money to invest for the future. Another will say he is truly wealthy if he can lead the lifestyle he chooses. A family living in a big mansion in a gated community could be more miserable than the guy that earns an hourly income living in an apartment. Money can not buy you happiness, this we know, but through doing the things that bring you happiness you can have money and build wealth.

True wealth is what a person perceives it to be. There is more to true wealth than money alone. True wealth is also about how we treat each other.

If this weren't true we wouldn’t have doctors volunteering to travel to third world countries to make a difference. We wouldn’t have volunteers ready and willing to help the less fortunate, the homeless, sick, elderly, children, the poor or suddenly show up at disasters willing to do whatever is needed to help without regard to any reward other than a ‘Thank You’. Or, for those who can not make the trip we have millions of people who donate billions of dollars annually to charities who provide so many humanitarian services or work on behalf of making things better and that work very hard to ensure a better place, a better planet for future generations.

These people who give of themselves never go in believing they know what people need, instead they ask them and then provide it. Don't think you know everything or what they need. Be humble and provide only what people ask for in that moment of crisis, even all it is is a kind face, a smile or a helping hand. It could also be a hug.

I wholeheartedly believe that being in debt transfers wealth to those you pay your debt to. It makes them rich, even richer, and their shareholders, it does nothing to make you wealthy. Instead, you should aspire to live debt free, save and invest your money in yourself by making wise investment choices.

Live prosperous. Live wealthy. Recognize the contributions of everyone, including yourself, who unconditionally work to make the planet a better place to live. Wealth is not all about money.

If this website helped you find your financial future we ask you to please give as a way to say Thank You. Not only does it support this site, is is a way to give it forward so others may find their way toward financial security. Please consider giving today. Thank You.

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