Get Rich Quick

To enrich means to add greater value to. When we think in terms of money or toys, we think more is better. If I want to be richer, I need to have more money.

In the greater scheme of life, however, being rich is a matter of having an abundance of what we value. It isn’t the money itself, but what money can buy that represents what you value. Could it buy you independence from the working world? Could it buy opportunities for your children? Could it buy more time with new gadgets? What really makes your life rich?

Most people would say that it is the relationships, creative pursuits, and compelling causes that bring richness to life. Toys and trips are great, but only when there are people to share them with. Believe it or not, it is easier to build true richness into your life than to build material wealth.

How can you become richer? When an experienced gardener begins to plant new seeds, she doesn’t just stick seeds into the old garden beds. The soil is hard from a long winter, and the nutrients have been all used up. Dead leaves and old grass litter the ground. The soil has to be turned, and have nutrients added, such as fertilizer or compost, to make it useful for growing new things.

Do you feel hard and all used up? Does life feel like an ironic hamster wheel? How can you get some new life growing? Take a tip from the gardener. Is there something dead crowding your life? Are there things you do or commit to that either aren’t your passion or aren’t matched well with your talents? Get rid of them! Clear the way for better things.

Turn the soil. Soften up. Take in the smell of your coffee, the feel of your shirt, the sound of rain on the window. Breathe deep. Opportunities to grow are all around you. Take a moment to listen, to reflect, to consider. What do you feel created to do? How can you incorporate that into your life?

Did you find some seeds? Maybe an idea or a thought came to you as you drifted off to sleep. Plant the seeds. Add some fertilizer. Nurture the sprouts to life. Allow your life the brightness and color that a growing garden represents. You have the capacity to enjoy true riches. Enrich your life today.