Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” ~Oscar Wilde
Does the race for riches leave you unfulfilled?
Does the thought of constantly chasing ever more cash leave you stressed, depressed even?
Does the whole idea of measuring your personal worth in terms of your personal wealth leave you deeply dissatisfied?
It did for me.
Poor in possessions and somewhat fiscally challenged, I never fit in with my richer friends.
And no matter how much I told myself that money didn’t buy happiness, I still felt worthless because I was worth less … financially.
So in my thirties, I finally caved in and chased the money dream.
Five exhausting, stress-filled years of ruthlessly pursuing more money.
But when I got there, it meant nothing to me. It didn’t It made me miserable.
In those five years, even to the small extent I succeeded, the so-called riches that money can buy actually left me poorer in happiness, health, and relationships. My heart and head were as full as my work schedule, but not with the people and things that really mattered.
I discovered that rocking a 24-carat rock didn’t rock my world. And bling definitely didn’t make me swing.
So with no idea where to go from there, I found an empty journal and started a record of the True Riches In My Life. For each year of my adult life, I jotted down every experience, achievement, adventure, friendship won or lost, and every decision I could remember making.
What an epiphany!
I realized my life had been full of riches long before I started chasing financial wealth and material gain. I realized most of the truest riches in my life actually came when I didn’t have all that much money.
Sure, when money’s really tight, it’s not so easy to focus on much beyond finding enough for the essentials. When I was lost in the financial doldrums, struggling to pay my rent, and praying there’d be reduced food in the supermarket, it took up a lot of my mental energy. But I wish I’d known then that I would have felt so much better about myself, about my situation, if I’d recognized the riches I did have.
Whether I’d had enough money or not, I’d missed seeing all those infinitely precious things because I’d been looking for the wrong kind of riches. I’d been measuring my inner wealth by my external wealth.
I realized in that epiphany that no matter how much a part of me may have wanted it, I would never be materialistic. It just isn’t in my makeup; I am much more spiritual than material.
Just like you.
And even though you can have lots of money and still be spiritual, spiritual people measure true wealthin different terms.
So forget the race for riches, start your own True Riches In My Life journal, and discover your own inner wealth.
Forever and being at peace with who you are is the greatest richness in life.
Each morning, tell your reflection that you are going to do yourself the greatest service of being you. This act alone makes me feel happier, regardless of my personal financial situation or lack of ‘status.’
Start your Riches In My Life journal with a declaration of the authentic, spiritually rich person you truly are.
Overcome your natural desire to control the uncontrollable in life, and replace struggle with acceptance and peace.
Every time you catch yourself wishing you could change the unchangeable, write it down in your journal, and say, “It’s okay. I accept this just as it is.”
Childish wonder is still within you. Forever questioning and experimenting is the sign of a rich mind. My most enjoyable days are always those marked by a discovery, where I’ve learned something new, however tiny, that I can’t wait to share.
Reignite your spark and excitement for life by reading different types of books, learning about different cultures, and delving deeper into anything of interest. Jot down these new discoveries in your True Riches journal—you’ll be amazed!
from nothing is a courageous act that brings a valuable accomplishment amid the practicalities of everyday life.
Let your self-expression rule in your journal—start that book, paint that picture, or maybe just sketch out an idea or inventive solution.
or hurt rewards one with peace of mind—a priceless freedom. The act of forgiveness is a true testament to your inner strength.
Write in your journal and say, “I forgive you, [name].” Don’t worry if you don’t feel forgiveness the first time; it will come in due time.
Confucius listed gentleness as one of the greatest virtues, and it is a quality you can see in spiritual people from Buddha to Gandhi. The ability to be strong without being abrupt or harsh is a rare and valuable quality.
Next time the kids or a colleague act up, smile, speak softly, and note in your journal how you stood firm but gentle.
Next time you start beating yourself up over a missed goal, write a realistic time scale in your journal, and remember to be as patient with yourself as you are with others.
It takes dedication to notice what you have and be thankful for it. But acknowledging all the good things in each day will make you rich in happiness.
Challenge yourself to note one thing each day you might have taken for granted, and add it to your journal to build a treasury of blessings.
Giving when you believe you don’t have enough yourself is true generosity of heart. And doing so leads to the realization that you always have enough to share.
Give someone your undivided attention for half an hour when you think you have no time. In this hectic world, your full attention is one of the most generous things you can give. Write these acts of generosity in your journal.
Next time you feel unhappy or are beating yourself up, do one small act of kindness for someone, then do one for yourself. Note these in your journal.
To understand and feel another’s pain is a truly selfless act. It allows you to appreciate the areas of ease and plenty in your own life.
In your journal, note all your compassionate thoughts and actions. I find these to be the most powerful of my journal entries; they wrap a security blanket of all that I’m blessed with round me each time I re-read them.
Making that emotional connection with others, whether it’s your partner, family, or friend, brings an abundance into your life that money can never hope to match.
Each day, tell someone you love them, and write in your journal every time those wonderful words are said to you.
Letting down your defenses and showing your weaknesses allows others to see the full picture, not just a silhouette. Being vulnerable builds trust in relationships. This is my Achilles heel, but by consciously letting others in, initially unremarkable relationships have blossomed into friendship
In your journal, record all your positive experiences of being vulnerable to help you build this rewarding habit.
Realizing you already have abundance in your life brings serenity and contentment. Achieving this in a materialistic world takes a special skill.
In your journal, read through all the infinitely precious things other than money that you are wealthy in. Acknowledge all the wealth you already have because, as the proverb says, “enough is a feast.”
Imagine being unconcerned about the race for riches.
Imagine no longer stressing over constantly chasing ever more cash.
Imagine measuring your personal wealth in terms of your personal worth, and feeling true contentment with the result.
Start that True Riches In My Life journal.
Embrace the genuinely spiritual person you are, and be at peace for the incredible riches you bring to the world.
rew up relatively poor, the second of eight children. My father earned $12,000 a year as a college professor. As a teenager, I was ashamed of our small house, my hand-me-down-clothes, and my peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.
I dreamed, literally dreamed, of living like a rich man.
And so, when I got my first job at age nine as a paperboy – and then at 12 as a lackey at the local carwash – I would spend my money on luxuries, like a pair of brand-new Thom McAn shoes.
I worked every chance I got through high school, and then worked two or three jobs during college and graduate school. I spent 80% of my money on necessities: food, clothes, and tuition. But I always spent a bit on little niceties. Even back then, I had the notion that I didn’t need to deprive myself now for some better life later.
I tell you this to emphasize a key part of the simple money-management system I’ve used to generate more than $50 million in wealth…
I don’t believe in scrimping severely to optimize savings. I believe you can live a rich life while you grow rich, so long as you are willing to work hard and you are smart about your spending.
Think of the typical earning/spending/saving pattern of most wealth-seekers…
During their 20s, they spend every nickel of their modest income to make ends meet. At that age, it is nearly impossible to put aside money for the future.
During their 30s, their income increases. But this is also when they start a family. Expenses soar. There are more mouths to feed, a “family” car to buy, and the dreaded down-payment on a first house. They manage to save a little during these years, but not nearly as much as they thought they would.
If they work hard and make good career decisions, their income climbs much higher in their 40s and early 50s. They have more money to put aside for the future, but they are also tempted into buying newer cars, nicer clothes, more exotic vacations, and – the biggest wealth-stealer of them all – that dream house.
In their later 50s and 60s, their income plateaus or even dips… and they may have to start shelling out for college tuition. Aware that their retirement funds are being depleted rather than enhanced, they invest aggressively to try to make up the difference.
Finally, sometime in their mid- to late-60s, they realize that they don’t have enough money to retire. They have spent almost 40 years working hard and chasing wealth, but they never managed to attain it.
It’s sad, but it’s the reality for most people. And it is just as true for high-income earners (doctors, lawyers, etc.) as it is for working-class folks.
There are two lessons to be drawn from this:
The truth is, there is only a marginal relationship between how much you spend on housing, transportation, vacations, and toys and the enjoyment you can derive from them.
My spending strategy is simple: Discover your own, less expensive way to live a rich life. By a “rich life,” I mean a life free from financial stress, but also filled with things that give you pleasure.
For example, good, restful sleep is essential for a happy life. Ideally, you’re going to spend around one-third of your life sleeping. So rather than “pay up” for an expensive car or an expensive necklace, buy a great mattress. By getting a great mattress (which can be had for less than $2,000), you’ll sleep as well as any billionaire… and be just as happy.
Your family can be just as happy in a house that costs $100,000 or $200,000 as opposed to one that costs $10 million or $20 million. Likewise, a $25,000 car will get you where you want to go just as well as a car that costs 10 times that amount. There are dozens of ways to live like a millionaire on a modest budget. If you learn those ways, you will have a tremendous advantage over everyone else at your income level.
Make smart spending decisions. Stop thinking that because you’re earning more money, you should be spending more. Your future wealth is determined by how much you save and invest, not by how much you spend.
So here’s what I’d like you to do: Figure out how much you need to spend every year to live your own personal version of a “rich” life. It might help to spend a few minutes thinking about all the things you truly enjoyed last year. If you are like me, you’ll find that almost all the things you enjoy require very little in the way of money. (Those are the true luxuries.)
Keep the biggest wealth-stealing expenses – like your house, your cars, and entertainment – to a necessary minimum. And eschew any expenditure that has a brand name attached to it. Brand names are parasites that gobble up wealth.
Don’t nod your head and promise to get to it sometime in the future. Do it today. Estimate, as well as you can, what you need to spend each year to have the life you want.
This is a number you must have firmly in your mind if you intend to be a serious wealth-builder.
This simple system for managing money can work for you if you commit yourself to it. As I said, it’s part of the system I used to build a net worth of more than $50 million – and it’s still working for me and everyone else I know who has tried it.
So today, spend the time it takes to establish your own approach to “living rich” now… and in the future.
[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been
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