The real meaning of true riches lies in finding contentment in life!
Introduction:
What comes to your mind when you think of being rich?
Sure, money, riches, houses, vehicles, jewelry, and other earthly pleasures? Yes, the conventional definition of wealth is having money so that one can own everything materially.
What should those who lack cash and other comforts do, though? Be miserable spending their entire lives in poverty?
For this reason, it’s claimed that there are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want; the other is to be satisfied with what you have.
Whatever the case, there are many who barely scrape by, and for them, the best course of action is to find contentment in what little they have.
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The Pursuit for Wealth:
From ancient times, accumulating wealth has been valued in all cultures and traditions on the planet. But in this never-ending pursuit of worldly goods, one sometimes loses sight of the goal.
When one forgets the original purpose of working hard to obtain the necessities of life, greed and lust take control.
The need to possess everything simply never goes away, and one never stops seeking after things. Even when someone achieves all of their goals, a lot of individuals still have an odd sense of emptiness and discontent inside.
Consider the case of Alexander the Great, the former emperor of Macedonia, whose desire to control the world carried him from his birthplace of Greece to Babylon, or modern-day Iraq, where he met his demise.
When he passed away at the young age of 32, having conquered a huge territory spanning from Greece to northwest sections of India, he asked his generals to grant his final three requests.
The three requests were to have the best doctors carry his coffin, to have all of his fortune spread on the path leading to his grave, and to have his hands left hanging outside of his coffin.
When questioned about his unusual requests, Alexander clarified to his generals that even the greatest doctors cannot save a person facing certain death.
And if a person passes away, all of their money remains on Earth. Finally, just as one comes into the world with nothing, they also depart from it with nothing.
The example above makes it quite evident that having material belongings are not true riches as they do not not guarantee contentment.
Unfortunately, the primary factor used to determine someone’s worth in this day and age is their monetary wealth.
Not that they aren’t required; having money is vital to get by and lead a fulfilling life. On the other hand, pursuing goals nonstop is ineffective and does not ensure contentment.
The Virtue of Contentment:
True riches are found in contentment, not in chasing after worldly possessions. One does not always get their wants and goals realized, even if they are extremely wealthy.
Even with wealth, there are still many unfulfilled desires, such as the loss of a loved one or the desire to return to happier, more carefree days of the past, that will never come again.
Therefore, developing the virtue of contentment is essential to achieving actual riches and fulfillment.
A huge sense of happiness comes from being mindful and feeling grateful for everything.
Accepting things as they are leads to true contentment; recognizing the delight in the little things in life and realizing that many things are only forms of peer pressure rather than what we truly desire. Social media is mainly to blame for how intimidating this has become.
There are significant psychological advantages to accepting satisfaction in one’s life as well.
Now, comparing the two aforementioned routes—following the unrelenting path of obtaining everything one needs or living a simpler, contented life—you can see that each path is unique.
This is not to say that people should cease working hard; indeed, hard work is necessary to achieve in life, but that shouldn’t be one’s ultimate objective. If this were not the case, then why do monks experience happiness and satisfaction in the absence of material possessions?
Conclusion:
Furthermore, nobody is discouraged by this article from striving for success or worldly possessions.
When it comes to pursuing wealth and fulfillment, it truly depends on the person; you must choose your own values and objectives. Since necessities are constrained and wants are limitless, there really is a fine line between the two.
We’ve all learned from the pandemic that survival with little resources and means is possible.
To live a happy and fulfilling life, one must take time to reflect on what it is that they truly want out of life.
Money is necessary for survival, but how much to earn and by what means, decides the level of our satisfaction.
