Living the Rich Life

Years ago, I heard a story that when he had more money than anyone on earth, J. Paul Getty received a letter from his brother that began, "From the Richest Man in the World, to The Wealthiest." Here's a question, would you rather be rich or wealthy?

I know I'm playing word-games, but my answer is that I want to be rich! Like "rich" chocolate or "rich" coffee, I want a life that is rich and full, and that includes all the money I can honestly earn. If I had to choose, it's more important to me to be rich than merely wealthy, and this week I was reminded of how rich I really am!

Mary and I walked trails we did not build. We ate in restaurants we did not create, and we ate foods we wouldn't know how to prepare. We held hands and we laughed at silly jokes. We reviewed the evaluations from the World Class Life Conference and reveled in the loving comments of friends who were strangers only days earlier. We walked a golf course we did not build, and enjoyed sunsets that took our breath away.

Martha Stewart is one of my heroes. I know people make fun of her. And, I really wish she hadn't sold that stock when she did, whether it was legal or not because it makes her look greedy.

But one thing Martha knows is the value of "living well." It does not require money to surround yourself with beauty. It does not require money to enjoy life and live well.

One of the great paradoxes of modern life is that we have more "stuff" than ever, but we live with more clutter, more stress, and too often, we are not happy!

We fill our lives with hectic schedules. We fill our offices with files and papers and books and magazines until we dread going to work. We fill our garages with last year's toys and park our cars outside! We fill our refrigerators with so much food that we eat too much, then "can't find time" to exercise!

I am convinced that one of the keys to a "rich" life is simplicity. Over 150 years ago, Henry Thoreau recommended;

Here are two personal examples. Copy them if they happen to apply in your situation, otherwise use them as inspiration to find your own more appropriate solutions:

1. At home, Mary and I find it hard to avoid television. We don't watch "too much" but we watch the news and our favorite shows and it's "hard" to turn it off. The thing clutters our lives. But this week there were more interesting things to do and the TV never caught our attention. Fill your life with fascinating people, places and things. Practice being a "do-er" rather than a "watch-er."

2. At home, I check email all day long and take my cell phone everywhere. This week, I checked email once or twice a day and left my phone in the room, and guess what? The world did not end! I had more time and a richer life, and my business, my friends and my life endured just fine. Set boundaries. Protect your privacy. Choose peace.

We live in an age when money and prestige and the trappings of success have become more important than ever. We live in an era when we can earn more, have more, and do more than ever, and the temptation is to lust after all those things. The "good life" however has not changed.

The "good life" is still about love and friends, about integrity, about meaningful work and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Whether or not you admire Martha Stewart or find my particular examples helpful is not important! The key is finding your own path to the "good life." As I told the World Class Life participants, this is your one and only life. This is "your turn." Live well. Don't blow it.

Written by Dr Philip E. Humbert. Visit his website for hundreds of similar articles, tips, tools and resources for your success, and be sure to subscribe to his free newsletter! It's all at: www.Philliphumbert.com