| What is true wealth? What should you expect if you | | | | Mercedes in the garage and a million in the bank and |
| reach the end of the gold paved road to | | | | not enjoy life as much as the guy who works in the |
| financialfreedom? | | | | gas station and lives in a two room furnished |
| If you have a million dollars, will you be satisfied? What | | | | apartment. |
| about 10 million? Is true wealth a numbers game or do | | | | True wealth is what one perceives it to be. And if it |
| other factors enter into the equation? | | | | were not so, we wouldn?t have policemen, firemen |
| Ebenizer Scrooge of Dicken?s The Christmas Carol | | | | and soldiers who risk their lives protecting us rather |
| was very wealthy for his time, but before meeting the | | | | than trying to work on Wall Street, making big bucks. |
| three ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, he | | | | We wouldn?t have doctors who travel to third world |
| lived a miserable life, too cheap to even heat his own | | | | countries, just to try to make some difference, rather |
| apartment. | | | | than to stay at home with a thriving practice and a |
| Meanwhile his clerk, with his many children, was | | | | comfortable life. |
| portrayed as happy and loving - a great father. | | | | We wouldn?t have all the volunteers this country has, |
| Of course this is fiction, but is there any truth to the | | | | who are ready and willing to help the sick, infirm or |
| story? | | | | destitute ? or who suddenly turn up at disaster scenes |
| Many people will work incessantly trying to accumulate | | | | willing to do anything to help. |
| more and more wealth, but a trite joke is that their last | | | | This country wouldn?t have the millions of people who |
| words are never: ?I wished I spent more time at | | | | donate billions of dollars annually to the charities of their |
| work.? | | | | choice. |
| For some people the only answer to the question; | | | | So even thought we concentrate on financial matters, |
| ?What is true wealth?", is money pure and simple -the | | | | it?s good to step back and realize there is more to |
| more money the better. | | | | true wealth than money. |
| Others would be content to say that true wealth is | | | | I believe that having enough wealth to live a |
| having the peace of mind of being free of debt. | | | | comfortable life makes lots of other things possible. |
| Another will say he is truly wealthy if he can lead the | | | | I also believe that being in debt is merely transferring |
| lifestyle he chooses regardless of cost. | | | | your wealth to your creditors. While it may make them, |
| Others might say true wealth is being healthy and | | | | or their shareholders rich, it really contributes little to |
| surrounded by loving family and caring friends. | | | | your true wealth. |
| There are probably as many answers to this question | | | | So my answer will be adopted from Mr. Spock?s |
| as they are people to answer it. | | | | famous Vulcan greeting: ?Live Debt Free and |
| You could live in a big house on the hill, have two | | | | Prosper.? |