You Are Wealthier Than You Think By Kathleen Rehl

By Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® Emeritus

www.KathleenRehl.com

Many say they’re worried about their finances. Uncertain economic reports, rising rental costs, sky-high inflation, surging cost of gasoline, high grocery bills, volatile stock market, job markets good for some and bad for others, crazy real estate values, rock bottom interest rates that may rise soon to increase mortgage payments and credit card expenses. All this . . . plus COVID.

But wait. Let’s take a closer look and put our monetary concerns in perspective. Here are some noteworthy facts to sharpen your focus.

Did you enjoy a good meal in the past 24 hours? Do you have a place to sleep tonight? Are you wearing suitable clothes? Answer yes and you are wealthier than 75% of all humanity.

Got money in the bank? A few dollars in your pocket? You’re in the top 8% of our earth’s wealthy folks. Own a house? Invest in mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and CDs? Now you’ve moved to the elite top range of the world’s wealthiest list.

There’s more. If you attend a church, synagogue, or other places of worship without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than about three billion other people. Did you wake up healthy today? You’re better off than a million who will not survive this week.

When we step back and acknowledge the abundance in our lives, we’ll recognize we are indeed wealthy. We each experience riches in areas that bring us real joy—family, friends, health, home, spiritual community, life purpose, pets, and much more. Yes, we are very well off when we measure what’s really important, along with our financial assets. 

Keeping everything in perspective, it’s easy to enjoy your own special wealth.

Note: This article is a refreshed version of a segment first published in Rehl’s book. Photo of the photographer is by Stan Moore.

Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® Emeritus wrote the award-winning book, Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows. She owned Rehl Financial Advisors for 18 years before retiring to a six-year encore career empowering widows. Now happily “reFired” at age 75, Rehl writes legacy prose, poetry, and letters . . . plus is an ambassador for several nonprofits. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, CNBC, USA Today, and many other publications. Her website https://kathleenrehl.com.