In this modern world of ours, we often pay a lot of attention to this whole idea of being/getting rich.
After all, the idea is all around us, all the time... in movies, in books, in advertising messages; pretty much wherever you look.
You should strive towards becoming RICH!
But what does that even mean?
Many years ago, I remember reading an article in some magazine about a prominent art collector, back in my native Denmark.
Everyone was very surprised to discover — after the man's death — that an ordinary journeyman plumber had a world class art collection. How could such a thing even be possible?
Isn't such a thing as collecting art the domain of "old money" living in mansions in the Hamptons?
It was an object lesson in the importance of priorities and passions.
Unlike many of his friends and peers, this particular man didn't "drink away his money," and he didn't go on vacations, nor did he buy "stuff" to fill his life with.
He lived modestly — although by no means a pauper — and saved whatever he could with an eye towards buying art, a thing for which he had a great passion.
Now he didn't have a particularly large art collection, just a very high quality one, acquired at a rate of maybe one or two pieces a year, over a period of some 50 years.
He made lifestyle choices that allowed him to live on maybe 80% of his income, and the remaining 20% was saved up for art... with great determination, and no deviation from that particular path.
Allegedly, he only had two vans during the entire 50-odd years he worked as a plumber, sometimes with the result of some (friendly) ribbing from his peers about being resistant to change.
Whereas his kids were well aware of "dad's obsession with paintings," they were totally blown away to discover (after his death) that those paintings were worth millions, as was the world, in general.
Of course, this is the story of someone who was definitely not typical, and the vast majority of us lack that sort of focus and discipline... as well as a passion for something very specific.
Even so, the point is that sometimes we can be rich in certain ways, even if we don't have a lot of riches in the conventional interpretation of the term.
Although it was by no means on the same scale, I collected stamps for many years... and when tough times came calling after Mrs. Denmarkguy had two shoulder surgeries in 2011-12 and we ended up with lots of medical expenses, it was — in a sense — my choice to buy rare stamps instead of fancy vacations that kept us from going bankrupt.
In other words, "riches" — whether little or large — can take many forms, and are often "invisible" to the greater world around us.
One thing is for sure, they are not going to take the form of consuming lots of "stuff," as the shiny ads on TV would have us believe.
Just top bring the bunny back around... one of the things many people miss is the fact that most of the "luxury brands" industry isn't actually for rich people... it's for people who are trying to LOOK rich, while probably not really being able to afford those luxury brands.
Just something to think about...
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Sunday!
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Created at 2024.12.01 01:06 PST
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