I want to be wealthy. I lived much of my early life poor and I would love to create some a significant amount of wealth so that I can use it to leave a huge impact on the world.
How about you? Do you want to be wealthy?
We live in a society where different people hold different practical definitions of wealth. And I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. While it’s nice to have a universal definition of wealth that everybody adheres to, what really matters is that each of us is clear in our own mind what wealth means to us.
So take some time and think about it now, what does wealth mean to you?
When you look in a dictionary, you will find a definition of wealth that looks like this one: Wealth is
Here are some other definitions of wealth that I’ve heard from others.
-Wealth is “the freedom to have some choices.”
-Wealth is “an accumulation of assets” And assets don’t have to be financial. They can be relational assets, etc.
-Wealth is “an advantage that gives you an opportunity” to get things done that you desire to get done.
Wealth is about getting things done
I think wealth, at the core, is about getting things done. I think that if we were to dissect wealth right to the heart and uncover the spirit of wealth, we will realize that wealth is the capacity to get things done. We may even say, wealth is the power to get things done.
Some people think wealth is about money. In some sense, it is. But I don’t see it that way. I think money is just an appearance or expression that wealth might take. But the reality of wealth is much deeper than money. A person can be very wealthy without having money.
Making things happen is what I think wealth is all about. Almost every human dream or endeavor that’s useful and important needs wealth to be accomplished.
Money alone is not enough. Financial resources alone are not enough. What good is a fortune when you have altered mental status or a grave illness that makes life unbearable to live? A definition of wealth has to include a healthy mind and body. But a healthy mind and body are not enough as well.
The four dimensions of wealth
I think that there are four key dimensions of wealth.
-Physical wealth. This includes both your financial wealth (money, financial resources, houses, buildings, etc) and your physical health. Financial wealth is what most people think of when they talk about wealth. But I think financial wealth is the tip of the iceberg of wealth. The second aspect of physical wealth is your physical health. A surgeon can buy an insurance policy for his hands and body for millions of dollars. If his hands and body were injured that so that he couldn’t do surgery, the insurance company will pay him or her millions of dollars to live on. Both the surgeon and the insurance company can place such value on the surgeons physical and mental health because it has great worth.
-Psychological wealth. This refers to having a healthy mind and emotions and to a great degree.
-Social wealth. Social wealth refers to relationships. When you are connected to important people and have influence with them, you can get things done without money. If you have influence with presidents, kings, queens, and the most important people, you can pick up your phone and get things done without spending a dime or moving a muscle. Relational wealth is a key component of wealth. Social wealth is far more important than money and financial resources.
-Spiritual wealth. Spiritual wealth includes our spirituality and source of meaning. We are all spiritual beings and all have some form of spirituality. By this, I don’t mean religion. Spirituality gives us our values and sense of purpose and meaning. It motivates us to do good, to get important things done in life that shape the world and make it a better place.
These four dimensions of wealth are about one thing — getting things done in the world around us. Wealth is not something personal. It’s something that we steward. Wealth is not something that we as individuals can possess and own. It’s something that we govern for the benefit of all. That’s why we are born naked and cannot take anything with us when we die. From matter we come, to matter we return.
Money, financial resources are the least important aspect of wealth. In fact, it is the only aspect of wealth that you can do without it. You can be wealthy without owning any money and financial resources. But you cannot be healthy without having a sound body, sound mind, strong social relationships, and a vibrant spirituality.
Now that you know what wealth is, go create some wealth and get things done! And don’t feel bad about desiring to be wealthy!
