So many people measure their life’s richness by their financial status, but I think that only considering this via the amount of material wealth you have is a false measure.
Material items for me represent clutter, and the need to look after them.
I would like to suggest to you that richness comes from experiencing life. By what you do with your life, and how you create yourself from these experiences. Being rich is how you feel about yourself and the life you are allowing yourself to experience.
Have you ever thought about travelling to or volunteering in a 2nd or 3rd world country like Vietnam or the pacific islands? There are some wonderful opportunities to enrich your life by going there and working with the children in the schools or perhaps in the orphanages. You will be adopted by the local community and families and live as they live, up early in the morning and off to work in their communities.
You won’t have the facilities you are used to, but you will definitely get an experience that can open your heart and help you to truly know who you are. They don’t have access to social welfare systems, tax credits, top notch medical and surgical departments at local hospitals, but they do have access to laughter, smiles and caring.
In New Zealand and other 1st world countries, we often take for granted the simplest of luxuries, quality running water from many taps in our homes, a hot shower in the morning, good hygiene standards, good roads, access to education and work, plus many other things that have become ingrained into our culture.
While in countries such as Nepal, Fiji, Peru and other countries like them – local communities don’t have many of these things – but they have much more than we do, depending on how you look at life. They have a community, they look after each other (the young and the old), they are rich in humbleness, they are not caught up on the small stuff like whether their mobile phone has enough credit, or having their hair straightened.
They survive on different access to standard provisions, they work a lot harder with the soil and grow the food, plant crops, have community markets. Their medicines are more likely to be how the ancients worked, with naturopathy, herbs and plants. Their lives are less programmed – and it is a pleasure to experience their difference.
