Recently, I heard this question that made me stop and evaluate my current life and myself as a Husband and a Father.
Since I was a child, building a strong work ethic and obtaining a good job were ingrained into me as the pinnacle of becoming rich. Growing up, I was raised primarily in a poor or low-income home. We were on many of the low-income programs growing up. Growing up this way, as it does to many people, put it in my head that money was the most important thing to sustain life. I needed money. I needed to make a good living and be rich so I could raise my children better.
Now I want to be clear, when I say “…raise my children better”, I am not bashing low-income families nor am I saying that children raised in higher income homes are better. I am simply saying, I want my children to have a better childhood than I did.
So… What is the definition of rich?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “rich” as “having abundant possessions and especially material wealth.” or “having high value or quality.” I think most people gravitate towards the first definition, and I don’t blame them. What’s that saying, “Money can’t buy happiness”? Personally, I do not have one problem that cannot be solved by some extra money. But, is that YOUR definition? Does your definition have a little more life and emotion? I know mine does. Hell, my definition of rich doesn’t involve money being a factor besides the slow monetary investment required to reach my definition of rich.
How I define being rich
I had a discussion with my wife about this topic and we both agreed, Self-Sustainability is our definition of rich. Self-Sustainability is what would make us say “we are rich”. This can look different for many people. For us, Self-Sustainability is a piece of land with an eco-friendly and off grid home, some animals to feed us and the land, and a garden that produces enough food to preserve. That, in my opinion, is the dream. That is the finish line. That is my definition of rich.
