I remember an ex-colleague said that for you to feel rich, count all your blessings that money cannot buy. That simple phrase stuck into my mind and even up to now, as a mother, as a wife, as a working individual and as a global citizen (well, it is to say that I moved out of country of birth hehehe) I keep that in my mind.
I use that phrase a lot to my 8 year old son. It is normal at his age that he is fixated with toys, with material things as he is a young boy. He would always ask for new toys justifying the need for new toys by saying "mom, I do not have blah blah blah".. And he would oftentimes ask me, "mom, what do you want for your (birthdayn christmas, etc). And I would reply saying I want good health, peace of mind and he would just look at me blankly. And that is when I would tell him that at this stage, I feel very very very rich as I have all the things that money cannot buy. Hahahah I would then segue to telling him, can money buy you? can money buy papa? can money buy the laughter and the giggles that we share? hahahaha He would respond with a resounding No!! I love being with my son! We learn a lot from each other and we keep each other grounded!
Let me say it again, boldly and out loud!! I AM RICH BECAUSE I HAVE ALL THE THINGS THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY!
1. I have good health. My health is my partner in making my dreams come true. My health gives me the provisions that I need to earn for my living, helps augment our family´s income and helps me rear our family. I take care of my mind, my body and my heart (my feelings and my inner self) to be healthy. Positive thoughts, kindness and goodness always radiate from within. You can´t fake it. You may pretend to be nicey nicey but raw and real situations will reveal the real you. So it is important, primordial to plant kindness, happy thoughts so that we will reap happiness and kindness as well. These are integral in our mental health.
2. I have a loving home and family. I maybe living outside my country of birth but I am very proud and very grateful to say that my relationship with my family, my mudra (mom), my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, my in laws and my extended family (aunts and uncles) are intact. Praise God! I AM BLESSED WITH A GORGEOUS, SEXY, PLUMP, HANDSOME, FUNNY, WITTY, INTELLIGENT, RESPECTFUL, UNDERSTANDING, KIND HUSBAND AND AN EQUALLY HANDSOME, WITTY, FUNNY, STRONG WILLED SON!! Any relationship, be it partner, family, friends, office/colleagues or any interaction for that matter, requires tender loving care and commitment. Love begets love. I love my family! The sound of my mom´s voice, the tight hug that I get from my husband and son, the resounding laughter of my son, reading and playing sessions with my son are definitely PRICELESS!!
3. I have true friends. I may seem gregarious and very open but my intimate circle knows that I am certified, an authentic INTROVERT. My husband and my closest friends know this side of me very well. I am grateful to my friends who choose me as well. Thank you for the friendship, love and support across the miles through the years. Friends are family members as well!! I love you my friend!!
4. I have happiness and peace in my heart. I have said it many times and will say it again, I am a very grateful, easily contented, easily satisfied person. I have no hidden agenda, neither with my relationships nor at my work. Of course, we work to be recognized and to earn for a living. But I make those as my second and third reasons why I work, I work because I wanted to make sure that my professional skills will assist my director, my line manager in achieving our team´s goals and eventually achieving our organization´s goals. I achieve to be the bet professional that I can be as my commitment will show in the quality of my outputs and in the degree of my office relationships. Even if there are days that I work from home, I never short change my company. I always render my service. When I dedicate my effort, my time and all of me in every service that I do, whether cooking meals for my family, paying 100% attention to my mom´s or sister´s phone call, doing household chores in my mansion (sweeping the floor, washing the dishes), etc I always have peace and happiness in my heart. This level of contentment also enable me to rejoice in the success of others. As mentioned in one of my older posts Desiderata, if you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always, there will be greater and lesser persons than you.
5. I have healthy relationships (or at least, I would like to think so jejejej). The happiness and peace in my heart enable me to build relationships and interactions that are authentic, respectful and kind. Sometimes, as we get older, our ego gets the better of us as we think of our accolades, acconmplishments, etc. I strongly believe that as we achieve more regardless on which facet of our life, the more we should stay humble.
6. I feel safe, secured in my everyday living.
7. I laugh out loud as if there is no tomorrow.
8. I have time - time to be with my family, time to sing, time to watch tv/netflix, read books, time to go to the doctor, time to cook. I have time that enables me to do what I need to do at a given moment.
9. I have freedom. I am free to vote, free to work, free to cross the street, free to talk, free to air out my opinion and free to make decisions which are crucial for my life, for my society, etc.
10. I love and I am loved. I know that God Loves me and that love is what I give to the people around me. I love with all of me my husband, my son, my family, my friends, my colleagues and I love serving my community!!
I am sure you feel equally rich after reading this post.
Thank you very much!
(*** all photos taken from the net. credits to the owners. thank you***)
