Open Your Eyes to the Richness of Life
I am sure that we have all heard the phrase, “Not all that glitters is gold.” Wealth is too often measured by what weighs down our pockets or by what clinks together metallically. People throw around their money as if this financial power equated to physical or mental strength; and all the while they are unhappy.
The “richness of life” goes against the societal obsession of money equaling happiness or fulfillment. Lusting after pennies and dimes steals away the one thing that makes life beautiful. That would be the happiness found in daily life, or the human experience.
Emotional richness reigns supreme over financial riches
Money gives you one thing: the power to obtain all that can be purchased. The more money you have, the more you can buy. However, how many times have you purchased something you thought you truly wanted only to regret it moments later?
More than half of the belongings we accumulate throughout our lives is later deemed useless junk. We end up drowning in our horded objects, coughing on dust, and bound by cobwebs. Kind of like the junk scene from Labyrinth.
You see, all the things people really want are inside of us or found in others. Once you open your eyes and start smashing the crystals that merely show illusions of grandeur, you start to see the bigger picture. You begin to see that there is more to life than money.
Read also – 9 Mindful Ways to Find Yourself Again
Appreciate what you have, not what you want
At the end of the day, when you are most honest with yourself, what do you find yourself wanting? I am sure that right before your eyes close, you are not sighing wistfully about that Hummer you just bought. No, you are thinking back to the smiles, the laughter, and the memories made between you and others throughout the day.
You are reaching out, mentally and physically, to those within proximity. You seek to be understood, loved, and cherished. Money is paper. Lifeless. Useless when there is no value placed upon it. Money is a symbol of greed. Money is a symbol of want, not need.
Next to money, the lives of your family, your children, your dog or cat hold so much more value, do they not? Stop questing after something that does not give back and start putting your efforts into expressing love for those around you and yourself. Open your eyes and see the beauty in your world. You are alive and that is such a precious thing to be.
Aspire to attain that kind of mindfulness, not money
I am not going to say that money is completely unnecessary, because it is integrated into our society. Yet, you can practice ways to enjoy a life that requires less of it. The first way is to stop uselessly spending it on things you do not need.
You do not really need another iPhone. What you need is to get outside and see the world with your own two eyes or have a face-to-face conversation with your significant other.
You do not need a bigger apartment. What you need is to appreciate the fact that you have a roof over your head. You have a warm bed. You have health, a full fridge, and a place to call home. You do not need to put in more hours on a work-related project. You need to spend time with your kids or fur-children.
Read also – 10 Life-Altering Opportunities You Should Not Miss
Realize that within every moment of every day there is something to savor. Whether it is the juiciness of an apple, the sound of the dog’s nails against the floor as he excitedly awaits to go outside for the walk, the crispness of autumn air, or the laughter of children, all of it is beautiful. All of it makes you heart feel something money does not.
The truly rich are not those who have millions of dollars, ten cars, and bundles of land. The truly rich have opened their eyes to the richness of life – and that goes beyond material things.
