The Hidden Wealth Spectrum – Understand the Levels for Yourself Now
When you think of wealth what do you think of?
Is it having cash in your wallet or money in your bank account?
Or is it something else?
Do you think most people think that money is wealth?
I chart money every month to see how our family is doing and I help my clients do the same, however, I know that money isn’t the only measure of wealth.
There is a hidden wealth spectrum that a lot of people don’t understand, and it causes confusion in their actions.
However, there are other measures of wealth:
One of them is loving relationships.
Another is health (mentally and physically).
Another is free time.
You might think that this is touchy feely or silly.
Let me explain why this hidden wealth spectrum is so important, and why understanding it could change your life.
Wealth Level 1 – Loving Relationships
I read a book a few years back called Homelessness in America: The History and Tragedy of an Intractable Social Problem by Stephen Eide. In it I Iearned that most people who are homeless have burned their relationships.
Kind of like burning cash except you’ve you’ve burned your bridges with people.
They might be addicted to drugs, irresponsible, hateful, insane, unable to control their body functions…
Whatever the reason, according to the book the people who love them can no longer stand to be around them in the same living space and now they are living on the streets as a last resort.
There are people who have run out of money, but they’re not homeless. They might be living with their parents, relatives or friends.
The difference between those living on the streets and those living in homes is loving relationships.
So it occured to me that money is not the actual gauge for true wealth. It’s the quality and quantity of positive relationships.
I’ve been studying wealthy people for years now and those people who really love people, and take care of others, and look out for them…they rise up in popularity and also in opportunites. Opportunities include money but so much more.
Wealth Level 2 – Healthy Mind and Body
I think most people have heard health is wealth.
I think you can understand that if you have all the money in the world, but you are dying of a disease, the money doesn’t matter much does it?
True wealth involves living a healthy and happy life.
To create this level most people understand that you need to do things like have a spiritual practice, exercise and eat healthy foods.
In fact, my mentors taught me how to become healthier (CLICK HERE for what I learned).
A lot of the information that you need to learn, and a lot of the actions you need to become a better version of yourself require energy and vitality.
I couldn’t meditate or find the focus I needed to learn what I had to learn until I started sleeping regularly, eating my own cooking, and exersicing regularly.
Now I meditate twice a day.
I have the focus and energy to ENJOY being with my son Jordan and my husband Jomel.
Recently my mom moved in and I can ENJOY my time with her as well as help her move, sell her condo and so on.
I can only do all of these things and still be in a good mood because I am healthy.
Are you healthy?
Wealth Level 3 – Free Time
This level is so important because with free time you can create loving relationships and become healthy.
Haven’t you heard people say they would exercise or eat right or be with their kids if they had more free time?
This is where a lot of professionals have confused wealth with money and don’t realize wealth is actually free time.
This is also why a lot of young people can play, make friends, join sports and learn new things – they don’t have money but they have loads of free time.
The whole point of being financially free is that you don’t have to spend time on making money anymore.
When you are financially free, you end up getting to figure out exactly what you want to do with your time.
When I first quit my job it took me a while to figure out how to stop working all the time and actually relax, play in the sand with Jordan (who was 4 years old at the time), and figure out what is it that I love to do?
The result is that I’m in a walking club, archery classes, a swim club, a tai chi class and church on Sundays.
I go on at least 1 date with my husband every week and I spend time with Jordan before and after school.
Do you have time for your health, your friends and your family?
The Hidden Wealth Spectrum
I call this the hidden wealth spectrum because it’s not always easy to measure loving relationships, or health, or free time.
Once you understand the many shades of wealth, you’ll begin to see the whole picture.
That’s why a lot of people feel like one of our friends is rich, even though he rents a small house for his family and he is not a millionaire.
He has a huge network of friends. He’s constantly meeting and creating new friends every where he goes.
He loves going to baseball games with friends and bought 2 season tickets, one for him and one for a friend.
He’s active and healthy. He’s a contractor so that’s a lot of heavy labor, and he also like to go walking with friends on Sunday mornings.
He creates volunteer projects for the communtiy and has a non-profit organization.
If we want to see him and his family for dinner he has the time most nights.
If you look at his Net Worth you might not think he was wealthy at all.
He jokes around that I am wealthy because I’m super cheap and cook all my food, am super healthy and have tons of free time.
In the end most people think he is rich because he is rich on the hidden wealth spectrum – lots of loving relationships, healthy mentally and physically and plenty of free time.
So where are you on this hidden wealth spectrum?
Do you have many loving relationships with your family and/or friends?
Do the people you meet enjoy your presence?
How do you make others feel?
How do you feel?
If I was visiting your neighborhood and wanted to treat you to lunch, could you go?
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