The Real Measure of Wealth

The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money. Look at some of the following instead of a looking at your account ledger.

The small things.  Realize that the small things are really the big things.  If we are always looking for something better we sometimes fail to realize that we already have the best we could hope for. When you are not satisfied with what you have and want more, you get more, but then desire even more again.  It will never be enough. Ironically, getting more will bring you less satisfaction.  When you lose everything, you realize the small things were really the big things

Your relationships. Sometimes people are beautiful, not in looks, not in what they say, just in who they are and what they do. When you witness the depth of love one gives to another person they will become beautiful to you. It is a valuable gift to observe love as well as receive it.  Be grateful for the people who make life a little brighter.

Be okay with a lack of control. When you’re younger, you exhaust yourself trying to take charge of everything in your life, other people, and all situations. Then one day it dawns on you that you will never gain control.  Learn to simply let it be okay, to not be perfectly okay. You will wear yourself ragged trying to juggle the outcome of everything happening around you. The only things you can truly control, are what choices you will make, your response to others and how much control you will give to the fear that you’re feeling.

Work through your failures. Success is not a skill; it is a persistent attitude. The difference in winning and losing is may be the simple act of not quitting.  Pause in your struggle and  think of the reason why you held on so long, look at all the progress you have made. So many of us give up because we tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far they have come. Congratulate yourself on your achievements along the way.

Don’t let your fears make your decisions.  Have faith that God has a plan for you.  He loves you and will supply your needs.  With an eye on eternity, seek wise counsel from others and step out in faith.  Don’t stall out in fear.  An outcome different than you expected may be just what you need.  When you make your plan, allow some room for God to work.

Stand up for yourself and others. Don’t let the people who do so little for you, control so much of your feelings and emotions. Caring about people is not the same as always caring about what they think. There are those who you may need to love from a far.  Protect the weak.  Shake the dust off of your feet and spend your time and energy wisely. .

Decide to be happy.  If you want to be sad, no one in the world can make you happy. But if you  make up your mind to be happy,  no one can take that happiness from you. Happiness is a state of mind not a state of being.  Find a bit of joy in each day.

Let go of resentment. You will only begin to heal and grow when you let go of the past, forgive those who have wronged you, and learn for forgive yourself for your mistakes. You have been forgiven by God. When you realize your sins against God are so much greater than those you have suffered from others and yet He forgives and loves you, forgiveness will come easier. Dwelling on your injuries does nothing to heal but prolongs your pain.  Your choice.

Focus on the positive. With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. There is good in each day, if you can’t see it  look in a different direction.  No matter how far you have traveled or how many failures you have encountered, hope can still meet you anywhere.

The question to consider is  "What do you have that money can’t buy?”