I just got home from a trip to Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private island in the Caribbean.
I was on the island participating in a Business Mastermind, surrounded by several extremely affluent people. Not just the top 1%. This is the top .0001%. Multi-millionaires. Billionaires. Mega-philanthropists who use their vast wealth to do noble things—find cures for cancer, explore renewable energy options, develop space travel technology, and more.
It’s very inspiring to be here, surrounded by people who regularly whip out their checkbooks to write six-figure checks for charities. People who casually say, “Let’s take the Lear jet tonight” the same way most folks say, “Let’s take Uber.” (I make great money, but compared to some of the people here, I’m basically a penniless street urchin! Ha. It’s all relative.)
I love money. I love earning it, saving it, investing it, donating it, and yes, spending it. As a coach, teaching women how to make significantly more money is a huge part of my life’s work.
And yet…
At the same time, it’s important to remember that being rich and feeling rich are not always the same thing. I know quite a few millionaires who are deeply unhappy, and I’ve met villagers in Thailand who live in dirt-floor homes and smile all day long.
It’s wonderful to have money. It’s fantastic to feel financially secure. I absolutely encourage women to build wealth. Hell yes.
Also, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to be a millionaire to make million-dollar memories.
Watching the sunset is free. Skinny-dipping is free. Sitting next to your great-auntie in a rocking chair and listening to stories about her childhood is free. Dancing in your backyard is free. Blasting the radio while you sing along with your kids is free.
There are hundreds, thousands, millions of beautiful, luxurious experiences you can have every day of your life—experiences that are free, or almost free.
Richness is more about your attitude, not your account balance.
Today, make some #deposits into your spirit bank as well as your financial bank. Make dollars—and make memories, too. Collect payments—and stories. Be the woman with all the best stories for your grandkids to hear later, so they squeal with amazement and say, “Grandma, you really did that??!”
Wealth is comprised of what we earn—and how we live.
Live rich.
PS. You have just 1 more day to sign up for the Summer of Yes. Do it, boo. This program is all about creating the BEST summer of your whole dang life. Say Yes to beach days and bike rides and road trips and grilled corn and mojitos and making memories with people you love…instead of sitting in your stuffy office grinding away at your laptop and feeling blocked and miserable. I promise: the more fun you have, the more money you’ll make. ????
