You are truly rich when you know you have enough.
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
You are truly rich when you know you have enough.
Living under a tin roof hasn’t been the easiest choice in my life but in moments like this I appreciate the decision because of the fruits of that action. I have lived in some beautiful homes even had hundreds of pairs of shoes - excess. But growing up and watching what drives many people I decided to look at what I truly value. Now I wonder why people collect handbags that is the annual income for several people and why you need more than one (perhaps it is security in relationships that are more like product exchanges). Why people would die to have a car that goes one minute faster than everyone else?
My family had cars - the Lamborghinis that have that low rumble, the cars that glide through thick traffic and can tailgate like only a professional driver can. Clocking times from destination to San Diego that would make some people shudder and others experience the thrill of their lives. There is something wonderful about good craftsmanship but where do you draw the line?
Watching hundreds of thousands of people barely get by and the one man at the top launching himself in penis shaped rocket ships into the sky makes me question our collective values. Imagine a world where we poured that money into taking care of each other and what we have collectively - stewards of each other and the earth? I saw a MeMe recently where a single man has a bottle with an attached lid to help save the oceans from plastic while leaders bomb parts of our world. So today I sit here under my tin roof with open windows and think, yeah I have every single thing I need right now and that is alright.
The car, the handbag, the house that brings more debt will not instill happiness within us. The same with the tin roof. The true joy is beyond what we can buy or own. In the same moment I pray we can be more generous to one another. To me, poverty is the inability to help people around us when they are in need. I have said - how can I be a millionaire when my neighbor are poor? To me it doesn’t make sense.
What did make sense to me was a beautiful story in an ancient text that spoke about a group of inspired believers came together and shared their assets among each other and no one went without. Anyone who knows me can confirm this has been my footprint for most of my life. That I care for people under my roof.
Throughout time I missed a very important part of that ancient text - that it was believers that share the same heart and mindset. I have always opened my home, sometimes unwisely. I am grateful for the angels with the unusual grace that guard my house and doorstep and sweep away what doesn't belong.
I am grateful to be surrounded by the people that care. I am grateful to not value what others value as important. Just yesterday someone said we could make my agency a very large agency because we are very skilled. I thanked the person and said we thought about the 10 years ago - we could do television adds - do this do that- make a lot every month but we decided on quality of life. Chasing after wealth can take a lot of time. Being someone who was a Fortune 500 consultant and worked to accomplish things like that I realize there is nothing for me to win there.
Today, I have meeting back to back after 11 but now right now I have had the time to wake up, to write, to contemplate what is good in life, to study and for that and because of that, surrounded by nature, under my tin roof - I feel truly grateful.
With Love,
Comments