By what measures do you evaluate your wealth? Jill McCulloch believes it takes more than financial success to become truly rich
Wealth is not just about money, it’s about having an abundance of the things that we value. Discovering our values, the things that uniquely bring us fulfilment, is an extensive exercise. Underpinning these are some basic desires, which give us a sense of living a ‘rich’ life. These hold true for everyone I have worked with as a coactive coach. I suggest they are true for us all.
1. Work
that is fulfilling It might be a day job, a business or career. Our desire to accomplish something of worth is fundamental. Yet sometimes in our careers we are so divorced from the outcomes of our endeavours that it fails to satisfy. It is often the work done outside of the 9 to 5 which allows us to express our gift and gain more immediate feedback or results. For some it’s volunteering, coaching the local sports team or gardening
2. Esteem
This includes respect from others and self-esteem. To have self-belief and selfesteem enables a person to live comfortably in their own skin; comfortable with the decisions they’ve made and what they stand for in the world.
3. Aspiration
Several of my clients are financially affluent, have reached the top of the ladder and find themselves not liking the view. ‘What now? What’s next?,’ they ask. Success and financial rewards cease to be enough and they seek fulfilment in a new arena. Having something to strive for gives our lives purpose and meaning. (Coaching gives far greater long-term rewards than a fast car or a mistress!)
4. Love
‘Money can’t buy me love!’ Romantic love is sought by many, yet it is actually sharing that is most desired. Sharing life’s ups and downs with another person, or even a pet, gives one an enormous sense of wellbeing. It is sharing the mundane, the everyday and having a witness to one’s life that creates a ‘wealth of memories’. It is often those shared memories that are most sorely missed when the witness is lost or leaves.
5. Trust
Trust of friends or confidants is an invaluable commodity. Without trust, no amount of financial wellbeing will give us peace. The intimacy of deep sharing with a trusted person supports our self-knowledge and gives our lives a greater depth and richness. Being trusted by another is a privilege and boosts our self-esteem.
6. Health
A sense of wellbeing and energy supports our ability to do the things we choose. It underpins every aspect of our lives. People such as Stephen Hawking don’t allow physical ailments to get in the way of fulfilling their aspirations and experiencing everything they can of life.
Challenges occur for us all and overcoming them leads us to a rich life, pursuing our dreams, accomplishing our goals; fulfilled and abundant with memories. So you may not be a millionaire but if you can claim all of the elements above then you are wealthy indeed.
(biog) Jill McCulloch is a co-active coach working with passionate people with a mission – sometimes to reignite their passion, sometimes to help them discover a new mission. Connect at coachyou.co.uk
