Even in times of financial uncertainty, it’s always important to keep things in perspective.
Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.
— Henry David Thoreau
- You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
- You didn’t go to sleep outside.
- You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.
- You hardly broke a sweat today.
- You haven’t spent a minute in fear.
- You have access to clean drinking water.
- You have access to medical care.
- You have the right to vote.
- You have access to the internet.
- You can read.
Some might say you are rich, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.
Photo by: Carfe
swaMp says
Brilliant!
Elc says
That is so right. People tend to think they are poor in my hometown when in fact they are far from poor.
danielle says
thanks again for a great post, i was feeling grumpy this morning and reading this changed my mood… ^^/
Evelyn Lim says
There are many things to be grateful for. When we choose to honor and remember them, we will experience wealth!
Teresa Hall says
How true! Taking just two minutes each morning and each evening to be grateful for ten things can change your entire outlook on life. Thanks for the reminder!
Joann Sondy says
Thank you for the list; yest I do feel “blessed” after reading this. Very humbling and puts my current struggles in perspective. (Need to get that load of “stuff” off to charity.)
Peter | The Change Blog says
This is a nice little article Marc. I was reminded last week that how we define words – eg “success” or “rich” – can have a big impact on our lives, particularly when it comes to how happy we are. This article is another great reminder.
marci says
and the #1 reason (for me), I am able to spend time with my precious grandchildren – and my life is blessed because of it 🙂
Eric Hamm says
I strongly believe that so much of our personal struggle is perspective based.
I enjoyed your simple, yet clearly thoughtful list. Thanks for sharing it with us. 🙂 Eric.
Grace says
Amazing that we take all of these things for granted. I count myself rich on the days I don’t worry about money. Funny how that looms so large on our horizon! G.
Bonnie says
thanks for the reminders. It is so important to be grateful for what we have.
Vincent says
Sometimes it is the little things that we need to be grateful for.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Simple Sapien says
Wow… it is easy to lose sight of things when we get wrapped up in our own world and our own problems. Life is so easy for most of us. In fact, I went to bed with a stomach ache last night because I ate too much. And I complained about it. It is pathetic. Thanks for the reminder to put things in perspective and realize that we have it so easy.
– Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
dHanG says
i complained always not being rich but totally your right. I’m rich! should be grateful of what i have.. tnx
LivSimpl.com says
Amen! And there are so many more things that could be put on the list. This was a great reminder – thank you!
Marc says
@All: Thanks for all the kind remarks and additions. At times we become so overly consumed with the things we don’t have that we fail to appreciate all the true gifts in our lives. Writing this short article served as a reminder for me as well. 😉
Voice of Reason says
Too bad being rich is more of a relative thing. Even people in Africa have things to be thankful for that they take for granted. There are people in the world with less money than the average American person but experience the power and respect of someone who is a millionaire there. It’s all relative.
Timber says
I printed this and put it on my fridge to remind me to stop complaining when my son has once again left the empty milk jug in there.
Thanks for sharing.
Divers says
10 Reason why they are poor!!!!
1: Too religious
2: Western countries sucking their blood..
3:So called international laws, requires them to sell their products for pennies
4: So called intelligent agencies creating incidents, so that they fight eachother
5: Humanitarian aids reaches to them by less than half what actually it is
6: We want to wear new clothes
7: We like doner kebabs after binge drinking
8: Our free world is sucking our blood, and enslaving us by putting us on debt
9: Elite people believe that the world population should be around 300 Million
10: If you don’t believe what I say, go and find out your self, by watching Zeitgeist…
Then you will know, why they are actually poor, and why they make you think that you are RICH(?!?!?!)
Will says
Its completely ridiculous to compare the economic state of one country and its citizens to another, which is what you have done here.
For example, in Zimbabwe, inflation is at 231 million percent. This means that even if you’re one of the richest persons in your country, you couldnt afford to buy anything there and would be just as poor as your fellow citizens.
You can only compare your wealth to others living in the same financial environment as yourself. Poverty exists in every country worldwide, including your own.
Susan says
This is so very true. Thanks for posting this and reminding people of what they have…especially for this holiday season when people will be buying less.
Click A Life Coach says
Simple but on the spot. Great post
Kris says
Nice try at the guilt trip, but no one controls where they are born, I am gratefull I was born in a developed country, but I dont buy into the culture of beating myself up, over something I have no control over.
How about you spend your host costs for this website, on helping out the less fortunate, instead of spreading bad vibes to everyone?
And now for your ‘points’;
1. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
How do you know? – Assumptions.
2. You didn’t go to sleep outside.
How do you know?, I could be living on the street and reading this on a library computer.
3. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.
Actually no I didnt, since I cannot aford to buy many clothes.
4. You hardly broke a sweat today.
Actually yes I did, since I excercise.
5. You didn’t spend a minute in fear.
Actually I am fearfull every day, since I suffer from depression and anxiety.
6. You have access to clean drinking water.
So does alot of the 3rd world, and I give what I can to christian aid in helping dig wells where they do not.
7. You have access to medical care.
The NHS in this country resulted in me losing my hearing, and is piss poor overall. And in fact, the medical establishment is well reported in causing more deaths (through mistakes) than many leading diseases.
9. You can read.
Yes I can read, but for a long time I could not, since I have dyslexia, but taught myself to overcome it.
10. You have the right to vote.
If you call the option of picking between two liars who you despise equally, then I suppose this is true.
So in essence, please stop portraying other people of the world as ‘victimes’ it is this mentality that holds them back.
Ciao.
boxafella says
amazing post! simply amazing! that sure did put things into perspective!!!
meme says
if you go camping though you only retain #9 and #10
Noah says
how bout #11. Your reading this
Jazzy says
Not only did I have the choice of what to wear, but I had a CHOICE period. I think we all tend to take that for granted sometimes.
Michelle says
I didn’t have 3, 4, 5, or 8 today.
It was an off day.
Ola Jackson says
One should believe they are rich even if they don’t meet that criteria. If one looks for riches in those things, it will never, truly, be found. [Though I understand the point that is trying to be made – it doesn’t change the aforementioned.]
Bill says
You had me all the way, up until #10. There is no such thing as a right to vote, at least in the USA.
Topher says
– Nobody’s bombing your village.
– You can expect to outlive your children.
– Nobody in your family has been “disappeared”.
www.fieldoflove.net says
This is quite true. Everyone is moaning about credit crunch. However about those third world country citizens who’s crying and hunger for foods every single day. Let’s soul search ourself and think what went wrong with us…
Patricia says
Cool post, but 5, 6, and 7 really aren’t as realistic as you think for the majority of Americans. My friend can’t get healthcare insurance right now because of a condition she had in the past. Most Americans do have access to healthcare, but they can’t use it. As for water, I have not drank from the tap, ever, in Los Angeles. The water is too dirty. And as for living in fear, are you kidding me? We’re all terrified.
But we live better than something like 90% of the world’s population. So you’re right – we do have a lot to be grateful for. If only we weren’t so lazy, fat and stupid. 🙂
Ricky Buchanan says
And even those of us who only have most of those (9 are true for me… well, technically 8 but that’s only because it’s laundry day!) are richer than the overwhelming majority of the world’s population. It helps, sometimes to keep that in mind.
Other times, it’s just appropriate to let myself feel self-pity for a few hours and then give myself a metaphorical kick up the rear and keep on keeping on. Thanks for the reminder,
Ricky
selena says
Thanks for such an interesting post. It made me think.
Marc says
@Voice of Reason: You’re right. Being rich is all relative. That’s the whole point of this article. 😉
@Divers: That’s a pretty negative outlook, but there’s truth in your claims. Greed certainly acts as a prime force in our world economy.
@Will: You’re missing my point. I’m not suggesting that the rich people of Zimbabwe are truly rich. I’m suggesting that YOU are rich in comparison to most of them.
@Kris: Sorry to hear about your personal problems. I hope you feel better.
@Ola: You’re right. No one principle fits everyone. The point is to be grateful for the things you do have… the things others wish they had.
@Everyone else: Thanks for the kind words and insightful comments.
Nicole says
I live in South Africa and whenever I am feeling self pity I only have to look across the valley and see people who live in absolute poverty to remember that I have so much to be grateful for.
Valeria | TimelessLessons says
This is a beautiful little article Marc. And there are so many more things that could be put on this list. This was an incredible reminder… thank you!
Mini Life Hack says
It’s easy to forget these things isn’t it.. true, there’s a lot more that could be added, but this short list is all you need to realize that. And that realization is the important part.
Joy says
Wow, we all need to be reminded of this to remain grateful.
David Allred says
Short and to the point. One of the greatest principles of wealth is first being grateful for what you have. Why would you ever be given more if you don’t appreciate what you already have!
Thanks for the post! I just followed you on Twitter as well. Looking forward to it!
Ryan says
11. I have a job.
Matt Goldberg says
I tend not to try and make myself feel better by comparing my life to the misfortunes of others.
PizzaForADream.com says
It’s my wish that everyone in this country be required to travel overseas for a period of time in their lives. We’re spoiled rotten and because we have no perspective outside our “perfect” world, all most of us do is sit in front of the TV and complain! Simple things like ice in a drink are taken for granted here, while everywhere else in the world they are considered a luxury.
Get a dental plan! says
Actually, 70% of Americans don’t currently have a dental plan. But we are working on correcting that. Great article.
Jeff says
This sounds nice, but actually I disagree. We all live in our own perspective and in that perspective we have our own measure of heaven and hell. It is simply not comparable to make our pain go away by looking at what someone has or does not have. The truth is..having met many people like this..they are generally happier than those of us who are educated and living in ‘western’ conditions. I believe everyone’s perspective is valid and we shouldn’t negate our situation by trying to think we have life so much better than someone else. After all, it is all in our mind and our own pain is just as real as anybody else’s.