Living Your Moments of Wealth

Living Your Moments of Wealth

Enjoy the little things in life for one day you'll look back

and realize that they were the big things.

-Kurt Vonnegut

In the quiet and stillness of quarantine, I embraced the opportunity to breathe deeply, to let my mind rest, to faithfully pray, and to patiently listen. This is what was revealed to me.

In the busyness and demands of our daily life, it can be easy to forget to live our life. That is, to be fully present to the gift of life and the impermanence of our life. It’s easy to be blind to the lavish blessings we have when we are focused on all that we don’t yet have, all the things we still need to do, all the things behind and ahead of us, all that is not the exact moment we are actually in. Our striving, competing, and comparing blinds us to God’s loving generosity.

In a world that is outward focused, being rich is the measure of success. We want others to see what we’ve accomplished and attained. We accumulate dollars to buy things to make us feel good because we look rich. We look the part.

Conversely, it is only when we are inward focused that we are wealthy. Wealth is not solely about money. Wealth is a state of well-being. It’s about being fully present and enjoying all the things that money can’t buy- good health, true sense of love & belonging, and peace of mind which comes from having close, nurturing relationships. Wealth is living life in full acceptance and enjoyment of what we already have.

Our lives are given to us by our Moments of Wealth (MoW) which happen when we stop to notice, appreciate, acknowledge, and celebrate our life exactly as it is and as it is not with love and gratitude. It’s being present to the beauty and blessings already in your life- a beautiful rose blooming in your garden, the sunlight kissing your skin, a morning embrace from your spouse, so many little moments that enrich your soul. A Moments of Wealth is a moment that no amount of money can make better. You are fully present to how wealthy you already are.

Our lives are full of these small and big MoWs. If we only focus on where we're going, all the to do's, and what we still don't have or haven't done- we'll miss our MoWs.

Slow down. Stop. Notice and enJOY your MoW.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

- Dr. Seuss

How can you experience more MoWs?

Develop and master the skill of noticing, appreciating, acknowledging, and celebrating Moments of Wealth.

How do you notice?

By being fully present in the moment/experience.

How do you appreciate?

By saying "thank you".

How do you acknowledge?

By specifying what you're thankful for and how it makes a difference for you.

How do you celebrate?

By enjoying the experience exactly as it is with gratitude.

You are blessed when you’re content with just who you are- no more, no less. That is the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that cannot be bought.

Matthew 5:5 MSG

Engage your heart and mind:

What makes you feel wealthy/grateful in your life?

How can you focus on and share your Moments of Wealth with your family & friends on a regular basis?

Describe one of your favorites MoWs of this week to a family member or friend.