Live Richly

LIVING LIKE A MILLIONAIRE?

Everybody wants to be a millionaire, right?

Wrong.

I think most folks just want to live like a millionaire. It is actually different. It is not the having seven figures in the bank that dictates living richly.

This old story illustrates the difference:

A young man is lying shirtless on dock in the sun, with a hat pulled over his eyes, dozing gently in the ocean breezes. Abruptly, he is jolted awake by a crocodile skin shoe. The youth squinted up at his rude visitor.

“What are you doing asleep, here on the dock?” the well-dressed man demanded incredulously.

“Mister, I was just resting. I fished early this morning,” the young man explained.

“Well, you should not be laying around. There is plenty of daylight left! Get out there and fish some more!” the older man insisted.

“Why?” asked the sleepy-eyed youngster, yawning.

“Because, if you ran that boat twice a day, you could save enough to buy another boat,” he explained, as he tightened his tie.

“What then?” the fisherman inquired.

“Then, you could hire a crew and fish even more boats!” the businessman exclaimed, getting even louder.

“What then?” the lounging youth asked.

“Then, one day, you could control this whole seaport, and make money off every single fishing boat here, and become a very rich man!” the well-dressed man proclaimed, his arms waving wildly with every word.

“Then what?” he asked.

“Then, you could lay back, and take it easy and finally relax!” the successful businessman concluded, smugly.

The young man looked up, saying, “Mister, that’s just what I was doing when you disturbed me.”

You see, when we can truly relax—even for a little while--we are living a rich life, indeed. Whether you are relaxing in the sun by an inflatable backyard baby pool or on the beach in Mexico, it feels pretty similar when you close your eyes.

Those who live richly are not those who have all they want. It is those who passionately want whatever they have.