We make a common mistake, on a regular basis. By ‘we’… I assume you do it too, because I certainly do it.
We look at people and make the ‘rich’ judgement.
We think to ourselves: ‘Wow, he’s really rich! Look at his bla bla bla…’. Or we think: ‘Jeepers, I wonder what she does. That car/outfit/laptop must have cost a fortune!’
Have you done that? ✋🏾
It’s such a destructive thought-habit that is encoded into us early on in life. I’m sure some are able to release themselves from it to some degree, but I bet it’s a nagging thought that will always have to be overcome and kept in check.
The reality is that rich is fundamentally a personal perception. It’s about having a bountiful amount of something we hold as really valuable. But we keep regressing to a projection of value, and a projection of our perception of rich onto other people.
We allow other people’s belongings, lifestyle choices and positions to become a benchmark for our own sense of ‘rich’ – and it’s skewed and unhelpful. Even more so when these internal thoughts become external conversations; engaging with other people and either making them feel better or worse based on our belief of what they should be doing with their lives.
Create your own definition of rich, and build your life according to that. Make your own decisions that are in line with what you hold as valuable. When it comes to engaging with others, take time to understand their definition of ‘rich’ and encourage them on their journey.
That way, hopefully, we can all get rich together.
