Everyone wants to be rich and famous. After all, the rich and famous own the latest designer shoes and bags, the trendiest watches, ride in the best cars and dine in the finest restaurants. They also get VIP treatment wherever they go and have numerous connections making them very influential.
But being rich and famous doesn’t always guarantee happiness or a truly rich life. There are many rich and famous people who suffer from depression. Some even commit suicide, which is very surprising since they seem to have it all. Just last year, award-winning fashion designer Kate Spade and world-famous chef, author and TV star Anthony Bourdain committed suicide.
There are also a lot of people who were once rich and famous but no longer are. Usually, they retire from a lucrative career or their businesses are no longer doing well. However, because they are used to a lavish lifestyle or are afraid of what others will think, they continue to spend a lot. As a result, they finish whatever they have accumulated soon.
As the rich and famous lose their social status, a lot of their friends, and even their spouses or partners, abandon them as they no longer see the benefit of knowing or being with someone who is no longer rich and famous.
Although there are those who manage to stay rich and famous their whole lives, many of them worry about their children. Will they have what it takes to generate enough income to support the lifestyle that they are used to? How should I split my wealth so that my children will not fight among themselves? And when will they be responsible enough to manage the wealth I will give?
While I am no expert on what it takes to have a richer life, here are some suggestions on what we can do to increase our chances of enjoying a richer life.
Save and invest. This is true even for those who are rich or have a big paycheck. After all, there is no guarantee that our income will always stay the same or that we will always have the strength to continue working as hard in the future. This is why we all need to learn how to prioritize saving and investing a portion of what we earn and spend only what is left on buying things we want. That way, we will eventually have enough to maintain our lifestyle even if we choose to retire early or do something that makes us happy but isn’t as financially rewarding.
Never stop learning. Even after we graduate from school, we should continue to learn by reading books, watching the news, attending classes and seminars, and talking to all kinds of people. This will allow us to stay updated with changes happening around the world, to be knowledgeable about various topics and to carry interesting conversations with different types of people.
Prioritize health and wellness. Prioritizing health and wellness by minimizing stress, eating healthy and exercising is very important because we become less sickly. Being healthy make us feel good about ourselves and allows us to enjoy more experiences with our friends and family such as travelling to different countries or participating in physical activities like marathons. An added bonus of being healthy is looking good and feeling confident even if we are not wearing expensive clothes.
Give back. Giving back by donating or volunteering is very fulfilling as we are able to help people who are really in need. I personally can’t help but admire people who have done so much for others as a way of giving back. For example, when the late Gina Lopez died, so many people lined up to pay their last respects. There was also an abundance of stories from people on how Gina Lopez touched their lives. And although she was sick with cancer, she looked very much at peace during an interview that was conducted a month before she passed away. Giving back touches our lives and gives us happiness and fulfillment that money cannot buy.
Maintain good values. To be truly rich, we need to maintain good values and have integrity, even if it is painful sometimes. Aside from being the right thing to do, it creates goodwill, allowing us to generate recurring business and referrals from people who have worked with us in the past because they know they can trust us.