What is wealth? People often have the view that wealth is strictly money and hard assets. Recently, I have occasion to ponder that concept and have come to realize that I believe that wealth is much more than financial riches.

My wife and I have just returned from a cruise with another couple. The other couple have financial assets that could lead most people to feel poverty stricken by comparison. We certainly don't have the same financial means as our friends but we are financially comfortable. But we left the cruise feeling much wealthier than them.

Why? We don't bicker and quarrel; we don't try to be in control of everything around us and we don't expect others to be in our service. We accept what we have (knowing that more will come) and we view what is presented to us as it is without complaining. We then decide whether we will accept or reject what is presented to us. We know that we are in control of what comes into our lives and we accept the responsibility for what we have or do not have. Negativity and complaining have no place in our lives. I wish I could say the same about our friends.

We feel very wealthy. So what is wealth? It is not just money. It is the totality of daily living. It encompasses health, acceptance of other people and their views and beliefs, satisfaction with yourself and love of yourself, a sense of globalness instead of "it's all about me", comfort in all aspects of life, contentment with your live and happiness. Money and financial assets are certainly a component of wealth but they are not the totality of it. Money provides the lubricant that allows the other aspects of life to flow smoothly. Money allows for freedom which in turn leads to happiness.

If money becomes the only, or even the major, component of wealth, then money becomes our master rather than our servant. Then we become focused on money to the exclusion of all else. Unfortunately, people who fall into this category become less and less content with their lives. By the Law of Attraction, their negativity will continue to attract more negativity and they become less and less content with occurrences in their lives.

What is life like if money is your master? Every action becomes governed by whether money will be made, spent, saved or given away. Concern for others becomes secondary to the flow of money. Health decisions revolve around the money aspect of the decision. (I draw a distinction between health decisions and disease management. I find that the majority of people are not willing to pay for disease prevention but are very willing to pay for potential cures and medicines once the health is gone.) On the trip home from the cruise, my friends would not pay for a healthy meal at a snack bar in the airport for their daughter because a junk food meal on the plane was one dollar less. They saved a whole dollar and she went hungry.

I am not against money or massive financial wealth. Rather, I believe strongly in it but I don't believe it is the totality of wealth. Nor do I believe it should become the master. It must remain the servant and only be a means to great happiness.

Each and every person deserves total abundance and wealth in their lives. By the Law of Attraction we can each achieve that level. Let's be open to this Attraction and let's be wealthy.