Friends

This video epitomizes the point of today's post.
Many people equate wealth and success with money, stuff, social status and business positions. They forget, or never learned, that this is just one mindset of wealth and success. There is another one that I value much more.

Mind you – there is nothing wrong with the above mindset but it is not the only way to view wealth and success.

The other way to view these two overriding aspects of life is through your relationships. If you have friends you can rely on; people who truly care about you and your life, then you are, in my opinion, one of the wealthiest people in the world. When you reach that summit where people love you to that extent you have truly become successful.

Friends are probably one of the most valuable possessions that one can have. You don’t own them – indeed you can’t own them - but you should appreciate them. You can totally disagree with them over politics, lifestyles, points of view and more - but in the end - regardless whether you agree to disagree or one of does change his/her mind - you still respect and love each other.

They will willingly give to you and you will willingly give to them. The giving can be anything from actual physical gifts to helping out to mental stimulation and just being there.

True friends are the gems of our lives and for many people are equally rare. I am most fortunate to have some very good friends that go out of the way for me and I only hope that one day I can do the same for them. For having these people as friends have truly made me one of the wealthiest people in the universe.

Appreciate all your friends. And to all of mine - thank you.

One other thing - I had a teacher back in first grade who always said that books are your best friends. While they may surprise you they will never betray you. I have lots of these friends in my home and always have. They are an addiction. The hardest thing for me to do is to find a new and loving home for those that I know I will never visit with again. While I also do use an e-Reader these days I always tell people that nothing will ever replace the tactile feel of a real bound book. So even if you are anti-social you can still have a friend!

In closing I want to share this poem I found:

The Making of Friends
If nobody smiled and nobody cheered
and nobody helped us along;
If every man looked after himself
and good things all went to the strong;
If nobody cared just a little for you,
and nobody thought about me
And we all stood alone in the battle of life,
what a dreary old world this would be!
Life is sweet because of the friends we’ve made.
All things in common we share.
We want to live on, not because of ourselves,
but because of the people who care.
It’s giving and doing for somebody else—
on that all life’s splendor depends;
And the joy of the world when you sum it all up,
is formed in the making of friends.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 -1919)