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It's important that every now and then, we take stock of just what
we have in life, just what kinds of benefits and blessings that we
have in our lives. Whether they be material, emotional,
spiritual, financial, or based on gifts such as talents and
abilities, we all have wealth in our lives. The wealth that
we've been given, of course, is meant for us to share with
others--we are here on this planet to benefit other people, to
share our love and our blessings with whomever we can while we're
here for this very short time.
A half a decade ago, I decided to start teaching in our public
school systems because I knew that two of my strongest gifts were
knowledge and the ability to teach, and I felt that it was
important to use those gifts in the most effective way
possible. While I thought I was doing a pretty good job at
the college I was at, the work that I was doing there was
benefiting a relative few people, and I knew there was a great
need for public school teachers, and not as much of a need for
college teachers.
It's not something I would recommend for everyone. The
switch has not come without its share of difficulties and setbacks
and frustrations. But since I consider obstacles to be an
important part of life--invaluable learning experiences,
actually--those hardships haven't been too hard to get
through.
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And they've been necessary, actually, for me to be
able to share the wealth that I've been given in life.
I wouldn't suggest that anyone purposely take on huge hardships in
order to spread their wealth. I wouldn't suggest that anyone
give away their last dollar when they have no food in the
house. But I do know that the benefits of sharing what we
have are amazing, and that only when we do give to others can we
get that satisfied and fulfilled feeling inside that tells us that
we're actually contributing to this world in a positive way.
For many people, a lack of such a feeling is the source of
feelings of despair and hopelessness, and banishing such feelings
is extremely important if we hope to be happy while we're here.
Sharing the wealth is very easy. I can share the wealth by
volunteering my time to help others fill a need (I do this by
teaching free classes to people in our community who need
them). I can share it by sharing the food I have with others
who don't have as much. I can give encouragement, I can drop
my change into the jar at the supermarket, I can give a smile, I
can go through my closet and pass on the clothes that I don't wear
any longer, I can buy a couple extra bags of groceries for the
food bank (after finding out what they can use, of course!), I can
spend time reading to a young person or a very old person, I can
help with the annual cleanup at the river park, I can spend time
listening--without giving any advice--to someone who needs to be
heard.
Wealth isn't about money or goods. Those are forms of
wealth, of course, but wealth means so much more. And in
order to share our wealth, it's necessary for us to recognize and
acknowledge what we have, first of all. Do we have our
health? Then we can participate in a walk or run for
charity. Do we have lots of money? Then we can share
it with others who are in need. Do we have great
patience? Then we can take on a task that demands great
patience. Are we good with kids? Then we can watch the
neighbors' kids while they do something they need to do, or we can
volunteer time at the local elementary school.
Wealth is useless unless we use it. Many rich people are
incredibly lonely, with deep feelings of isolation and lack of
purpose. Many talented people are frustrated that they
haven't "made it big," while ignoring opportunities to
share their wealth in more personal venues. Many writers
feel frustrated that they haven't been able to be published, while
the vast Internet out there awaits their contributions to other
people's lives. What are your talents, abilities, and
possessions? How can you share the wealth with which you've
been blessed, thus making your life much more fulfilling and
interesting and uplifting? You can have a positive effect on
others, but you do need to be willing to share to do so.
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on wealth
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