beyond wealth

"Be like the jutting rock against which waves are constantly crashing, and all around it the frothing foam then settles back down. Say not "Oh, I am so unfortunate that this has happened to me." But rather "How fortunate I am that, even though this has happened to me, I continue uninjured, neither terrified by the present nor in fear of future."

-Beyond Wealth, Alexander Green

I was reminded by this picture to appreciate the intangible things in life. After wrapping up a weekend filled with old friends, new friends, and family, I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude for having these inspirational people in my life. Every experience and relationship,whether pleasant or not, has shaped the person I am today. Even books, as observed in a recent post "we are what we read?", have a profound effect on our thinking, which unconsciously translates to into our behavior.  My current read, Beyond Wealth, has had a life-changing effect on my perspective of, well, life. In it are 65 essays written by a former financial advisor, Alexander Green, who discusses a new kind of wealth, not in material, but spiritual terms. His insight is born from the work of great philosophers, thinkers, scientists, writers, and artists (Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Buddha, Shakespeare, Thoreau, Emerson, Gandhi, Einstein, and Tolstoy to name a few).

And so, little by little for the past month, each story has fostered my inner wisdom (using wisdom may be giving myself too much credit) in ways I didn't expect it would. Our world is governed by false values today - too many of us are chasing money, fame, status, and possessions. When and if we attain these goals, we would likely feel empty and hunger for more. As Green puts it "a successful life is not about the grim determination to get or have more. Nor is it about low cholesterol levels or intellectual brilliance or career accomplishments. It's about human connections: parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends, neighbors, and mentors." And that, is the only thing that really matters.