The Grounds of a historic home in Natchez, Mississippi

While earning your daily bread, be sure you share a slice with those less fortunate.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

My yoga classmate/friend Carole recently passed along to me a New Yorker article featuring Melinda Gates. For those who have been on a complete media fast for the past couple decades, she’s the wife of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and a very accomplished woman in her own right. At last count their fortune is up to fifty-three billion dollars. They plan to give the bulk of their fortune away and because of this their daughters’ inheritances will be very modest. Last year alone they gave away three billion dollars mainly for global health issues. One of the things that struck me most in this article was when she said, “Bill and I don’t believe in a world where you have the haves and the have-nots. We are more in favor of taxation reform than I think most people in our situation would be.”

I’m with the Gates on this one. I don’t believe in a world of the haves and have-nots either. What good is any of our wealth if we are all not prospering? It doesn’t sit right with me. Do any of us really want to live in a world where so few have so much and so few have so little? I’m not talking about fancy cars, Mcmansions, and Prada bags for everyone. I’m talking about access to healthcare, adequate nutrition, education, and safe shelter for all.

I appreciate Melinda Gates speaking up about this issue. It carries a lot more clout than if someone like me from the middle or lower income brackets did. It’s likely we would be labeled as jealous communist modern day Robin Hoods wanting to steal from the rich and give to the poor. It’s difficult to even have meaningful dialogue with some people about the ongoing disparity between the rich and the poor because of ideological differences and a lack of willingness to admit that something is terribly wrong in our society and the world at large.

I bring up the Gates because when I read about people like this with such exorbitant amounts of wealth who too are concerned about the growing disparity between rich and poor I have some hope. They could have chosen to only give some of their wealth away and built a Gates dynasty instead. I bet they know that their fortune was built with the help of workers, infrastructure, government regulation, and community help and that no one really makes it alone. I know it can be argued that they have so much wealth that they damn better give some of it away. I know all the arguments that can be made and I’m not saying they are perfect. I’m simply acknowledging them for their charity and for furthering along the “sharing” mentality that more and more of us are seeing as our best bet towards a world that works for everyone. And high profile rich people contributing to the dialogue can go a long way in influencing how people think.

I believe the have-nots are our responsibility and that we have a moral obligation to take care of the least amongst us. Whether we want to admit it or not, a lot of us have what we have because of factors beyond our control. Take me, I grew up in an upper middle class family. My parents made sure we got to go to college, and we had a stable home environment. Because of who I was born to I received certain gifts that had nothing to do with my hard work or initiative. In other words, I got a good head start. Many did not. Then there were those who were lucky like me but suddenly became disabled, lost good jobs through no fault of their own, or who never had role models to teach them how to handle their finances and make good choices. Let’s also not forget the most vulnerable in our society – the innocent children, elderly, and homeless animals who suffer disproportionately each day. Worse yet, what about those spread out across the globe who are experiencing poverty unimaginable to most Westerners?

I’m not sure if one more tax cut for the super wealthy is going to solve our problems and suddenly trickle down and bring prosperity to all. I’m not sure if one more stimulus package or unemployment extension (although dreadfully needed for some) will solve our problems at the root. No, there’s got to be a revolution in our thinking. We need to move from a species who is constantly trying to accumulate to one where we constantly share with each other. In other words we need to evolve. We need to grow up and mature. I envision a world where sharing is the norm and unchecked greed is looked down upon. I admit this sounds idealistic and looking at the current realities, a bit unimaginable. But is there really any other choice? Isn’t sharing always the best way?  Isn’t it our only hope if we want a world of the haves and the haves?

Me-Just Happy to be Alive!

Society has conditioned us to believe our wealth is measured by money and material possessions. However, our real wealth and true net worth expand much further than the numbers in our bank accounts.  If we limit ourselves to a narrow definition of wealth, we will never be able to fully enjoy life and experience our true riches.

Our current monetary system produces a lack mindset and leads us to believe we must constantly be chasing the dollar if we want to be happy and content. Messages of accumulating more, more, more are constantly thrown at us, and as we strive for bigger and better, it’s often never enough. Our longings for more seem to go to infinity.  We think that if only we had a bigger house, a job making 20% more, a fancier car, then we would really be set. But then we find out nothing could be further from the truth.  Often when we do end up with more, we find that the void we thought would be full is still empty.

Our economy is in intensive care, and there is no clear indication of when things will be better.  This is the perfect time to reexamine our thoughts and ideas about wealth. How empowering is it to define your net worth by an outdated and dysfunctional money game that is rigged for an elite few and is constantly upping the ante for the rest of us? Although the current system is our reality for the time being, we need not give it any more power than is absolutely necessary. As we shift our thinking, we realize our true wealth is the things that money just can’t compete with or provide.

The list below outlines some alternative ways to tally up your real net worth, so review it and see how you measure up. I bet you are worth gazillions!

• Your Health-It may sound like a cliché, but your health is your greatest wealth.  If you feel lousy, it doesn’t matter how much money you have stashed away or how many summer homes you own. More importantly, if you have bad health, it’s harder to enjoy your other riches such as your friends, family, and passions. Don’t take your good health lightly. It’s one of your greatest assets. If you think not, then talk to someone who is suffering from a serious illness. Most people who are seriously ill see a bigger picture than those of us who are healthy. Learn from them and start to expand your perceptions of what’s important in life. Wake up every day and thank the deity of your choice for yet another day of good health.

• Your Mate/Partner-What a wonderful thing it is to spend your life with someone you love. Our deepest desires as humans are not really money or the material, but love. Remember when you first fell in love and how great you felt.  Having someone to go through the good times and the bad times makes the journey of life so much easier. It’s a real blessing to have someone special in your life, so cherish them and don’t take them for granted.

• Your Children-Children are priceless! Need I see more?

• Your friends- Families are wonderful but our friends are extra special because we choose each other. We have no control over who our families are, but all the control in the world when it comes to picking our friends. Friends are there to help you through bad times and to share the good times. And when we reciprocate by being there for them, the rewards are two-fold, because we gain the joy of having been there for someone as well. Good friendships allow us to be with people who accept us for who we are and are not forever trying to alter us.

• Your animal companions-Animals friends bring so much joy and fun to our lives. Besides the regular activities we participate in with our animal friends, just watching them as they go about their day to day lives can keep us entertained for hours. Animals teach us to live in the moment and not to fret about the past or worry about the future. Our animal companions are the epitome of unconditional love.

• Free Time- The gift of time to spend in any way you choose is an asset rivaling the most successful monetary investments. What a luxury it is to have time to spend with family and friends, time in nature, time reading and relaxing, time for fun, time for getting adequate sleep, and time to just do nothing if that’s what floats your boat.  The extravagance of time is definitely a valuable commodity and an often under-rated resource.

• Access to Modern Conveniences- The times we live in provide us with more access to technology and modern conveniences than ever before in the world’s history. You have a refrigerator, right? Access to a washer and dryer? What about a TV, computer, microwave, radio, electricity, heat, air conditioning, etc? Compared to past generations, most of us live like royalty. Modern conveniences save us time and make life a whole lot easier.
• Your Life Experiences-Each of us are unique and our life experiences make us who we are. Whether they are good or bad, we can use our experiences to learn, teach, and contribute to those around us. So if you aren’t already, get out there and purposefully start living. You’ll have setbacks for sure, but you will also have many victories as well.

• Your Spirituality-If you are a person who travels a spiritual or religious path, then you know the rewards — peace of mind, comfort, support, a connection with the divine. Spirituality is what feeds our soul and differentiates between the materialistic world and the world we cannot see. We all know deep down there is something more to being alive than just what is in front of us, but so often we forget and get caught up in things that won’t matter in the long run. Our spirituality helps us through the challenging times and keeps us connected to what’s important in life.

• Your Education- An education is not only a degree or certificate. Education is a skill you’ve learned, or a book you’ve read that inspires conversation and thought.  Whether it is a degree from a fancy university, a trade school certificate, or information acquired from the local library, all are forms of education and are very valuable. Once you learn something, it’s yours for the keeping and can never be taken away from you.

• You Humor- Laughter has a way of soothing the human spirit and making us whole again. If you have the gift of humor and have people around to laugh with you, know that you have an asset that can carry you through most anything this crazy life sends your way.