So often you hear people saying "I want to be Rich and successful", I am one of them too :)
Dictionary defines RICH as having wealth/ great possessions, abundant supply of resources, means or funds.
I remember when I was little being RICH meant wearing a new Beautiful dress for every occasion and never wearing the same dress again. It meant you would not go to school in an auto richshaw or school bus but instead your parents or your driver would drop you in your car. It meant having the most fancy school bag, the coolest cricket bat or any other sports equipment colorful. It meant you would eat at expensive restaurants and visit far off places and stay at best hotels during summer holidays.It meant you would stay in a big bungalow. Children who visited other countries on vacation were considered as extremely RICH.
Its strange as days passed by, I had everything that defined RICH few years ago but then I still didn't feel I WAS RICH because my definition of RICH had changed. Because then just wearing a beautiful dress didn't matter, it was the BRAND of the dress that did. Just driving in a car didn't make you feel rich unless it was a Mercedes or a BMW. The colorful stationary was now replaced by fancy glittering gold jewelry and diamonds. Travelling abroad for work or vacation was not a bid deal, not even staying there or settling there itself.
Strange but true !
Right now, I drive a BMW in USA so its like just any other car here, I still don't feel rich.
I do wear branded clothes, like they name it, doesn't make me feel RICH either.
I live in an apartments and don't own a bungalow here, so I don't know how that would have felt.
The gold and diamond jewelry is just lying in the closet, even that fails to make me feel RICH.
Traveling to so many different places, staying in resorts and so many more materialistic things miserably fail to make me feel RICH.
So am I RICH??
NOOOOOOO
Its because maybe my definition of RICH is always going to be related to something which I cannot afford right now, but I desire to achieve it some day. I might be ready to put in all the efforts and hard work it needs to be there. But then when I would finally reach there would I feel I AM RICH ???
Off course there are many other aspects of my life that do make me feel "I am the RICHEST person around", but mind you this post is not about that.
ARE YOU RICH ???
Please let me know what is your answer :)
This post has been written for IndiSpire for the topic: What is your interpretation for the word RICH.
A matter of definition, actually.
ReplyDeleteour article is so thought provoking. I am in that stage of life where clothes, brands and other monetary things matter to me but I am trying to work towards being rich from the heart. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ananya... Nice work. As you write about being Rich, nobody finds himself Rich, however he might be rich for world.
ReplyDeleteWell, what makes one feel rich? Not money, is what you say... nor possessions... and there is no denying that. The paradox, however, is that even after knowing this, people do tend to keep accelerating their pursuit of these inane little material benefits. I'm sure there are things far better and far more meaningful to pursue and they would probably make one rich in a more lasting way.
ReplyDeleteArvind Passey
www.passey.info
Human wants and needs are unlimited! It is best to have right and better understanding in life.....
ReplyDeleteRichness could very well be a trait of the demeanor inhered so deep within our gravitas or even facade, that it influences our very connotations. It deems not just contentment in terms of the physical reality, but also in the psychological realm in which our souls are nurtured and consummated. :)
ReplyDeleteHere's mine rather tacky version.
http://www.disavowed.in/2014/05/mujhe-mil-jo-jaaye-thodha-paisa.html
Tushar Kumar Singh
Project Disavowed
Thought provoking post indeed. I guess the day I'm content with what I have is when I will feel rich!
ReplyDeleteNice and thoughtful writing. Sorry I could not visit some of your previous posts because I am extremely busy these days. So, personally, I felt happiness is what you think. Happiness is like a room without a roof. You can put anything inside the room and define it in that way.
ReplyDeleteDifferent people have different definition for "rich". To me, I am now happy and contended. So, I consider myself rich.
ReplyDeleteHmm! Interesting Qs there was a time I was obsessed with making money or owning an expensive flat plus BMW. But, the thing is I have realized that such things doesn't matter but being a good human being is what I's call being rich as well as making a difference in people's lives. Yeah! Money is important and I don't have rite now, surviving on whatever lil' I have. But, I believe that being rich is not bout the moolah.
ReplyDeleteHope you get the things which you are looking for :) For me it doesn't matter as it is just a word of comparison :)
ReplyDeleteProcessing Creativity
So So Truee !! Being Rich is not about materialistic things at least for some of us
ReplyDeleteSo very true....Regardless of your IQ or what the highest level of education you completed is, everyone has the potential to become rich. Also the day we feel the contentment in life we are Rich Richer and the RICHEST...
ReplyDeleteBeing rich does depend on the perspective...but a great post :D :)
ReplyDeleteOne feels rich when one is content. It doesn't have anything to do with what we possess or own, more often than not our possessions end up possessing us...so that's not a rich feeling. We are rich only when we can walk away from those possessions and still feel content and blissfully happy :) A thoughtful post, Ananya!
ReplyDeleteThe conclusion nailed it, we all want what we don't have, and that's what drives us on, the ambition. Looks like you do cherish the things that matter, so don't feel guilty about wanting better things for tomorrow, every day!
ReplyDeleteit all how to see things .. and under what light .. deception ! .. but a great post ! :)
ReplyDeletesadly I am not rich.. i am comfortable that i can buy what i want but I am not rich so i can buy things which i may not want ..
ReplyDeleteBikram
Extremely well written, we can never give up this rat race..
ReplyDeleteSo True! Things have changed and so do people. Very thought provoking indeed :)
ReplyDeleteIn a way, we are all like small children wanting something and once we have it, it doesn't interest us anymore. We start looking for more things. A close look at two children playing together will prove what I just mentioned. We all crave for something that we don't have, but want to have. I believe 'Richness' is all about one's feelings rather than our physical possessions. Best wishes. T N Neelakantan www.neel48.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteA state of mind. One feels rich when one can cap the fascination with want. Isn't it? When , one is content then.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic and well laid out .
Being rich is a state of mind...when we are able to easily get what we want, we feel rich. Else the helplessness of failure makes us feel poor.Well written!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right that one's definition changes with ones circumstances. I have more money now than I've ever had, but also have more bills! More to pay out because I spend more. I need to re-evaluate. I am thinking that if you don't have good health, you are very poor and that is the only meaning to the word RICH. Rich = good health.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. :)
ReplyDeleteWe cannot be truly rich till we are content.
Am I rich? Well lets see, I live in India never been abroad (but wish to for work or vacation) I am a miserly backpacker,I have tones of cloth, BMW ??? I used to own a cycle once and now its public transport for me, I am working and working hard since i was 20 halting my plans for life midway so my childhood dreams of a career went bankrupt, I never in my life lived in an owned house, i really don't know how it feels to own one, I am married to an average man with average income contradictory to my friends who sacrificed their careers to get that dream husband, So, i have to plan my expenses. My Mom is reaching at the end of her savings still lives in a rented house have to give her a better life than this, my in laws are rich though I won't want their assets even if offered. Am I rich? well yes in a way yes, because Ananya as you tingled my thought process come to think of it for me working in an economically viable position, surviving after 21 years of age, and clinging to my self esteem were the only expectations but then again I am like all of us striving for self actualization. Ananya Thanks from the bottom of my heart you have cleared the clouds of doubts in my heart. Keep on writing
ReplyDeleteDear Datta Ghosh,
DeleteI really appreciate you for sharing your views here with all of us ! I totally understand how difficult it is to cling on to your self esteem , when there are so many other ways which can tempt us.
I salute you for that !
I am so happy that my small unfinished posts stirred such beautiful emotions inside you.
Thanks Datta !
The power of writing..... Ananya, keep it up.
DeleteI realize today, that a small unfinished post of mine has become so special and interesting because of ALL YOUR COMMENTS, Thanks guys, really appreciate your time and effort !
ReplyDeleteTru tht ..human desires huh , the more u hav d more u want...very well composed .
ReplyDeleteGoing by the pic (stacks of uncle sam) I am richer today than yesterday (cos i got a paycheck - ha ha ha)....Jokes apart, Taking the essence of this topic...I think we have learnt to be content with what we have in every sense. Most of these insatiable desires are wants more than needs.
ReplyDeleteBeing rich is a state and it usually doesn't remain stable, in the sense, though we may actually be rich, we sure don't feel like one or satisfied with what we have....Our definition of rich changes constantly...a good post
ReplyDeleteSo nicely put...This is so true I want to be rich..I am talking in money aspect, I definitely not ther yet but on the other hand I can say I am rich...I have a beutiful family, great husband and kids we laugh a lot and we are happy together..SO, yeah I can say I am Rich! And the money will come!
ReplyDeleteThanks for great post which got me thinking!
This is a real thought provoking article...I have written an article myself titled shallowness, posting the link below..
ReplyDeletehttp://anirudhrrao.blogspot.in/2014/04/shallowness.html
In this I have spoken taking about or shallow thoughts w.r.t. money which is generally the object of "richness" and also how we aimlessly run behind something not knowing what to do with it after all the efforts we put in.
Coming back to your article, I feel being rich is something more than just fancy wordly objects, for such objects will never provide permanent satisfaction since they are sure to wane away with time considering their imporance. Something which positively impacts our soul such as helping each other live a good life, living a life void of jealousy and avoidance of such these negative feelings is what we need and such feelings never fades away for some people, for their bad. For instance, today one might buy something only out of the jealousy that someone else has it. Do you think this is richness?We actually never wished for it but some negative influence and competition motivated us.
To sum up, Richness is just another term for abundance of something as you mentioned, but abundance in what defines the richness..I would just like to say that concepts such as richness,success are overrated by us and we tend to take some generally accepted clauses to earn the title of being rich or successful.
Nice writing, loved the read and the depth of your article.
This post is an eyeopener for those who are stuck in rat race of making money only.Of course i am also one of them ;)
ReplyDeleteIt is important that we realize the value of things which we already have before aspiring for others.
Beautifully written Ananya !
I think everyone of wants to be rich but are we a vibrational match to money? I belive not everyone is capable of beiing to work with a lot of money. Thats why a lot of people who win the lottery lose money fast...It is not as easy as it look at first sight.
ReplyDeleteJessica
Awesomely written!!! Thought Provoking...
ReplyDeleteEvery day I live by the law "I can be rich" life is beautiful. Do not ever give up :)
ReplyDelete