Defining Wealth

Beginning my Freshman year of college I had trouble understanding the acceptance of defining wealth as solely monetary.  Princeton’s online resource (and many of my fellow students at UMiami back in 2001) defines wealth as follows:

• the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money; “great wealth is not a sign of great intelligence”
• the quality of profuse abundance; “she has a wealth of talent”
• an abundance of material possessions and resources
• property that has economic utility: a monetary value or an exchange value

I agree with the statement “great wealth is not a sign of great intelligence” however I will not accept the remainder of the definition as complete.  Throughout my Freshman year, I was surrounded by students looking to out do one another, to “get ahead” by any means.  After an abundance of introductions to all that is new as a college Freshman-new friends, new location, beer, scheduling, beer, pool, budgeting for beer, south beach, beer- I felt an overwhelming pain of disconnect from those around me.  We had such different ideas of happiness.

From this disconnect came some serious soul searching within myself and others.  I spent many hours asking myself what really made me happy and exploring my moments of most joy and those of most calm.  As I grew more comfortable with myself and my inability to define happiness in material objects, I grew the strength to express what I was feeling.  I wrote notes addressed “to Society” screaming what did and did not make me happy.  I wrote short stories of a young girl on the search to understand her worth.  My brother, a CPA, shared my short story with some co-workers at the big accounting firm at which he worked during that time.  I knew then I could move people (I think we all can)!   After taking numerous intro classes I dropped my business management major and decided to become an English Writing major.  I just didn’t buy into what business was selling me.

Luckily, I was blessed with one EXTRAordinary young gal who was feeling a similar state of being lost. I immediately knew The Captain and I were soul sisters when I first heard her voicemail which delightfully sang, “This is Kate.  I’m out saving the world, so leave a message and I’ll call you back.”  The Captain and I became fast friends whom blazed the trail in our mission to Redefine All Wealth (R.A.W.). Our mission was not always navigated well, but the message remained the same—we would not conform to society’s definition of what we “should” want and do.  Our tactics, though with good intentions, were often more hilarious then tactful: We cried to girls in bars about their breast implants and the addition of something unnatural to their naturally beautiful selves.  We created our own riot invoking tank tops to express ourselves.  We shared our vision of making the world more R.A.W. with any ear that would listen.  We asked many questions of our peers and teachers in regards to what their goals were and why.  On a visit to Mardi Gras, I ran into a young man selling T-shirts that said “Stop Bitching.  Start a Revolution!” and thought the universe was speaking, screaming directly at The Captain and I. We carried our R.A.W.volution across the country in a trusty little Mazda miata and laughed ‘til we cried.

The Captain and I recently reunited to celebrate the marriage of our two friends.  The trip to Idaho helped me fall in love with the woman I am all over again.  I know I found a large part of who I am in Idaho, and my return visit this summer was a wonderful tribute to the feisty, R.A.W., Red-Head that Rammed into the town of McCall, Idaho so many years ago. Sometimes we all need a reminder of how to best love ourselves.  I challenge you to do something just for you this week to express your love for yourself! No guilt allowed!

During my return to McCall, I re-connected with myself and though many changes have occurred in my life since I last danced in that amazing mountain town, one thing remains constant…  I know that I feel most wealthy when surrounded by the love of close friends whom embrace me for all that I am and for all that I am not and allow me to see the beauty that shines from each of their dancing souls.

I am interested to know how each of us defines wealth outside of material goods and money. So go ahead, please leave a comment telling me how you, personally, define wealth or at what moments you feel the most wealthy.

Advertisement