Real Wealth

I just finished reading Agenda for a New Economy by David Korten. In the aftermath of our economic meltdown, David talks about the belief money represents wealth, what that does to our economy and the impact it has on our lives. Money is only a means for exchange, a phantom wealth so to speak. Real wealth is measured in the health and well being of people, communities and the environment. How often we confuse the two. And in our quest for money, how frequently do we put aside or neglect the very things that add real wealth to our lives? No doubt, it takes money to live in the world we now inhabit. But money is only one form of wealth. I now make it a habit to remind myself of that on a regular basis. Fellow coach, Dave Buck, defines nine elements of wealth: health, finance, relationship, spiritual, community, character, knowledge, experience and talent. I like his model. It’s a good reminder that even when money is short, we still have wealth. And even when we have a lot of money, if other key elements of wealth are missing, life can feel pretty darn shallow. The news these days shows the stock market is doing better, housing sales seem to be picking up, some companies are starting to rehire. It would be easy to think that we’re back to business as usual. My hope, however, is that this past year will give us pause to reflect on what’s really important in life and business and take an active role in shaping the future of our lives, our businesses, our country and our world to reflect the kind of wealth we really want to create.