Rich vs. Wealthy
There are two families in this story.
Family A has a household income of $550,000. They live in a big house in a gated community, drive luxury vehicles, and belong to a few exclusive local country clubs. They wear nice clothes, send their kids to private school, and are generally viewed as "successful."
Family B has a household income of $85,000. They live in a modest house, drive 8-year-old cars, and don't belong to any clubs. They wear forgettable clothes, send their kids to public school, and probably aren't viewed as much of anything.
Which family would you like to be?
From a money, stuff, and status perspective, Family A has it going on in all the right places. They've made it! They are living the American Dream, and I suspect many people look up to them as the model for where they would like to be someday.
From a money, stuff, and status perspective, Family B leaves a lot to be desired. They are living the most normal lives imaginable. I'm not sure anyone looks at them and envies their lives. Nobody is modeling their lives after them, saying to themselves, "Someday, I'd like to be where they are!"
Family A is wealthy, but Family B is rich.
Here's what we don't see. Family A, while having all the visible attributes of success, is struggling. There's a lot of financial tension in the marriage. Neither spouse particularly likes their jobs. Vacations are an act of escapism, but at the end of the trip, a feeling of dread sinks back in. From a day-to-day, week-to-week perspective, "joy" isn't a word that would describe their lives. They are busy, busy, busy, but that only adds to the stress.
Family B, on the other hand, is rich. While they don't have the material wealth that our society would deem successful, they live with so much peace and meaning. Every time I sit down with them, I'm inspired to be more like them. More purpose, more love, and more contentment. Their marriage is amazing, they feel almost no financial tension, and they both wake up each day excited for the good work they're about to do. They are rich!
Being wealthy is not the same as being rich. One has everything to do with money, and the other has nothing to do with money. I've had the opportunity to be both wealthy and rich, and I'll die on the hill a million times that rich far exceeds wealthy every day of the week. That's the essence of meaning over money. When we aim to live a wealthy life, we might just find what we're looking for. When we aim to live a rich life, though, we'll inevitably find deep meaning and impact to the degree many people will never understand.
I wish you much richness.
____
Did someone forward you this post? We're glad you're here! If you'd like to subscribe to The Daily Meaning to receive these posts directly in your inbox (for free!), just CLICK THIS LINK. It only takes 10 seconds.