In this blog, I wanted to touch base on what it is to be RICH. More often than not, when people talk about being rich, they are talking about being wealthy. However, are those same “rich” folk fulfilled? Most people think to be rich is the acquirement of high-priced material possessions rather than the growing and sharing of their spiritual side. What I’m saying is that you can be flat-broke and be richer than someone who is living in a mansion on a private island. In the paragraphs to follow, I will break down and give my option on both aspects of being RICH.

When you read the title to be RICH, what do you think of it? Do you think of living in a mansion with a bank account full of money? Perhaps, you think of owning your dream car, boat, or plane. This way of thinking is the materialistic view of being rich. The having of great wealth and assets that a person can splurge on nice things that they “want” rather than need. Nonetheless, there is nothing wrong with wanting material things in life. I believe that if the item you acquire can make your life better rather than give you a momentary feeling of delight, then that item will serve no ill intent.

The thing about material possession is that people can become selfish and greedy. People who put value into material things are the same people who will get upset if someone scratches their car or breaks their phone screen. (Though, no person should purposely destroy the things you worked for in life.) You decide how to react to the unknowingness of life. For example, you didn’t know that leaving the house today, you would get in a fender bender or that your friend who borrowed your phone would drop it by accident and crack the screen. Yes, you have every right to compensation or to feel some type of way. I hope that what you are feeling is peaceful, though.

That leads us to our second and most important concept of what it is to be RICH, and that is “at peace.” Have you ever seen a person who has nothing and still has the biggest smile? I have – and it doesn’t happen because their wallet is full. What is full, though, is their heart. “To be RICH” in this way is like no other feeling you can get. It cannot be purchased or given. To attain this level of richness, you must be able to be present at the moment. You have to understand that worldly desires cannot satiate what it is you seek.

Seeking spiritual or joyful wealth can make you one of the richest people on Earth. If we take a peek at Gandhi’s life, we can learn a thing about how to be RICH. Gandhi was a man who was not considered rich in his possessions but rather in his being. Who he was as a person was amazing. He fought back tyranny and injustice with peace and love. People would gravitate toward this man, and he would not only fill up their cups but also his cup would be filled in conjunction.

He found joy in what he did. Though he did not have a simple and lush/easy life, he was a man who left this world with few regrets. He chose love over hate and made a difference in the world because of who he was as a person. Gandhi was not someone who had his own selfish reasons for doing what he did. Gandhi had a dream for his people, and that dream was equal rights. This act of unselfishness and pure belief that he could make a difference helped to form his mindset into a doer. He was a man of action (peaceful action), but Gandhi did not leave the job for another or the next day.

Regardless of the type of richness you seek, it will require you to take action. The millionaire who worked hard and diligently to make his money and create wealth for him/herself will be forever able to create that in their life. A person who is given a million dollars will most likely squander it away. The same is true in spiritual/self richness. You can go volunteer in the food kitchen or help to raise money for people in need, but does that feeling stay with you or fade away in time? Most often, time will bring you woes that grab your attention and make it more challenging to remain in that peace in wealth. So how can you stay in both riches?

The first type of richness involving money is simple to maintain. There are a few rules you must follow to be wealthy. My 3-step list is to live within your means (Don’t spend more than you make), Have your money work for you (Invest), and not become materialistic. Though you can attain wealth and keep it by other means, the one thing you must have is the mindset of a millionaire. In order to be spiritually full/rich, you must have a dream that does good for others, you must remain in the moment, and you must not let the troubles of the world take control over your peace. In order to reach this state, you have to have an internal talk with yourself. You have all the answers to the problems you created. If you do not have a solution to a problem, then perhaps that problem has no place in your life. Let it go!

To be RICH has two main meanings, which I just went over.  To recap, one is monetary/material, and the second is spiritual/joy. Both of these have the ability to label you as rich, but what is the one you should seek? Is it possible to have both types of riches in your life? I believe that whatever you want in your life, good or bad, can be yours. You can be fully aware of the good you do unto the world and the benefit of your hard work. You can create any world you wish for yourself. Though things might not go according to plan A, you can always rework the plan and start all over. The life you have left can be used to accumulate a heap of riches and a heart/mind full of richness. You decide what type and how much richness you want in your life. There is no shortage of either, so the amount of RICH you can have in your life is all up to you.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts