A Beacon of Wealth

A Beacon of Wealth

John Paul Derryberry

It was a tasty beer in hand, a glowing fire, the sun setting, and a bald eagle circling over the creek that occupies our backyard. The scene framed a near-perfect day with the peaceful ending it deserved; a reminder of how good I have it. It's a combination of hard work, a good family foundation, a great network of friends, the correct genetic coding, and a large bag of a lot of luck.

There is no way around admitting it. I'm rich, have wealth, and find myself in a very comfortable position in life; but probably not in terms of the way the majority of people think of wealth. There is not a bunch of zeros in my bank account; I have to operate within a budget and retiring early to pursue a passion project is probably not in the cards. But I would put my life up against the wealthiest folks in the world. My guess is, at this point, you're rolling your eyes at me. I wouldn't blame you if you did. The way wealth is treated in this country is often the way royalty was treated in the past.

It's the notion that there is always more you should be doing; the idea that there is always something that makes you less than the neighbor across the street. It's the constant stream of, if you just had a bigger house, more excellent car, or fancier outfit, you would feel more whole. It's a trick, attempting to feed a never-satisfied hunger. Consumption to be better than others is eating us alive. We use religion to proclaim we are better than others, even though every religion preaches not to do that. We use our careers to hold power over others, even though there is honor and power in every job. We weave our political ideologies in a way that dismisses others who have a differing view. We use our money and social media to flaunt a fake superiority over others.

The problem, and it's a big problem, is the way it sways our problem-solving process. We approach a fault in our lives with the fleeting idea that if we buy ourselves something, it goes away. If we act as if we are better than others, our problems disappear. Humans aren't wired that way; our brokenness never goes away by pointing at others and saying, well, they are more broken than me, so I must be a better person. This approach leads to the rampant selfishness that seems to permeate our current culture.

And it's not becoming a saint and saying, I have everything I need, and stop wanting stuff. I have things I want; I realize that I have what I need while I still have something I want. It's interacting with the world with I have enough to help others, so I will help others. It's about understanding the real meaning of wealth, power, and value. It's hard to know why some people have more than others because it's an incredibly complicated equation that leads to those outcomes.

Taking a step back and realizing I'm rich or wealthy with what I have in front of me puts me in a better position to problem-solve: to come to a choice for the greater good, not just my own emotional health; to figure out how to navigate this world where both my goals and others' goals can be achieved. Most importantly, to remember to share what I'm rich in with others in the hopes that where they find their wealth, they too will share with others. In a culture awash with making people feel inferior, having them second guess if they are good enough and feeling poor, become a person who is a lighthouse, a beacon of hope that shares with all: you are enough just the way you are.