Being Wealthy Does Not Involve Money

As a child, I had dreams of one day becoming a millionaire. Watching cartoons would help me visualize what such a large sum of money would like in my room. I could see myself pretending to swim through gold coins. Money, cars, clothes, and jewelry were the things that I saw as a measure of success and wealth.

Although I knew nothing about finances, I placed immense value in these material items. I was envious as people around me opened presents containing the latest fashion and toys on holidays. My envy would eventually lead to resentment towards these very same people. This resentment, in turn, shielded me from many of the joys of childhood.

So what is wealth? I now believe that if time is money, then health is wealth. We must be healthy to live the life that we desire, and we all value the time we spend living. It is almost as if you can measure someone's wealth by their ability to live life as they see fit.

Looking back at my childhood, I can see that I wasted time resenting others' circumstances, which negatively impacted my mental health. From my experience, I learned that it is toxic to measure how I am doing based on someone else's affairs. What reinforces this lesson is that I currently see my wealth's peak as nothing more than the time I spent lying on the beach a few years back.

During this experience, I found peace in leaving the stressors of life behind and simply just existing. At that moment, I wasn't care-free. By being able to relax, I found that I was able to be present within the moment. This state helped me find enjoyment and excitement in all of the small things going on around me. In the end, I was able to appreciate every aspect of the adventure.

At the time, my focus was not on buying or having things. Through this experience, I gained a proper understanding of wealth while regaining the control that the thought of money had over me. I simply felt alive, relaxed, and free. Although my time on the beach didn't come with a cost, it holds much value. This investment in myself paid off immensely.

The view