Acquire True Wealth
I’ve been pondering the nature of wealth recently. Most of us are looking for some kind of financial stability. This is not a bad thing; it’s part of life. An unfortunate part of life perhaps, but something most of us think about fairly often. At least I do. However, my anxiety toward my financial situation has not yielded much peace of mind. The more I try to scheme for more money, the more I seem to find new things to be anxious about.
However, what has produced more peace of mind, is developing a practice of wanting less.
By wanting less, I don’t mean giving up, playing small, or putting on some false humility. By wanting less, I mean learning to be content with what I already have, and reminding myself that more stuff likely won’t satisfy me. Here is a quote that I’ve been pondering …
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” - Epictetus
This sounds like something Dave Ramsey might say today. But it’s almost 2000 years old. You can have a bunch of stuff and have very little liquid cash. You can also have lots of stuff and be mentally, relationally, or spiritually poor. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with having lots of stuff, but seeking it as a cure for your anxieties around financial security is effort in the wrong direction. Seeking more is also something you can’t totally control, while learning to be content with less, is available to you all the time.
Again, if you have the opportunity to increase your income somehow, sweet, go for it. But even if increasing your income seems difficult, you can increase your margins by wanting less.
Personally, I’m still a work in progress on this idea. I am finding that my appetites for food, ease, and novelty are not as disciplined as I’d like. One of my favorite things is to read my Kindle Paperwhite e-reader. And yesterday I was on the hunt for a new book, but all the books I wanted to borrow from the library had multiple weeks wait. So, I browsed the online bookstore. And found a good one out of the multitude of options, but something didn’t feel right.
I went back and forth in my mind (do you ever do this?). It’s only 10 bucks, go ahead and buy the stupid book. No, I’m trying to save my money. I’ll just wait. But I want to read now! Don’t be such a tightwad, just buy the friggin’ book already. No, I really shouldn’t. 10 dollars here and there can really add up in a hurry.
I was in this insane dialogue with myself. Which was the right decision? There wasn’t one. Either would be fine. But I noticed that I was buying into the perspective that purchasing the book would somehow satisfy something that felt off in me. That caught my attention. Ultimately, I decided to postpone buying a new book, and instead opted to restart a book series in my library that I finished several years ago.
What was interesting is that as soon as I picked up this series for the second time, I became excited and quickly drawn back into the story. My desire to buy something else disappeared almost entirely. Sort of a strange thing, right?
I’ll certainly buy books again in the future. But this has been a good lesson for me, to be mindful of my appetites, to slow down, and consider what has power over me. It also reminded me that I already have enough. And while I don’t always see life that way, it is true. Wealth is a mindset.
This week, when you feel drawn to the idea that you need more, slow down and get curious about that longing. Ask yourself …
If I don’t get this thing that I want, what does that mean to me?
What is the story I’m telling myself about my circumstances?
Take some time to consider if the thing you’re focused on will really satisfy. Then make whatever decision makes the most sense. The goal isn’t to demonize buying or selling. The goal is to become more mindful, to live a life of peace, and understand what really matters.
Here’s to cultivating true wealth.
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom Page, LCPC
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