What does it mean to be Rich?

I’ve always thought of wealth as material things - cars, watches, houses, boats. I think its fair to say that through my life I’ve strived for those things.

At 47, I’ve reached that point where you think a lot about your life, both what you’ve achieved and whats ahead.

I’ve think I’ve done alright.

Started a business with some mates and no money at 19. That business is now 26 years old and employs over 20 people. Never worked a day for anyone (work experience aside!). I’ve been lucky to have great holidays, some nice motors and a few shiny things along the way but I’ve always thought that I was striving for something more.

When you type ‘Rich’ or ‘Being Rich’ into a search engine or image generator, 95% of what you’ll get is pictures of snappily dressed people with fast cars, or private jets or piles of cash. There are literally tens of thousands of Instagram and TikTok ‘influencers’ prying on the unwary, teaching them how to quit their jobs and start making 5-6 figures a month! Don’t even start me on the ‘Manosphere’!

I’d argue that the definitions of the word ‘rich’ above are not the full picture, or at the very least should not be confined solely to that meaning.

Just this week, after a ski trip with my Dad, I was driving back up the road after a week away from the family. My kids had been tracking me on the ‘Find My’ app (we call it the Find my Daddy App). They were waiting as I came around the corner and ran beside the car as I drove up the road and pulled up into our drive. Before I even got out of the car, I was being jumped all over with huge excitement. Now that is Rich!

And then there’s the trip itself. It’s one I take every year with my Dad. Just the two of us, driving to the Alps. We’ve done it for 15 years, and people always tell me how special that is. That tradition is another reminder that richness is in the time we spend with the people we won’t always have.

Its very easy to chase goals and material things, we can forget what’s already priceless. Oh and by the way I’m certainly not perfect in my thinking, I still like nice things ;)

That said, I think I’m slowly realising that being Rich isn’t material, its knowing when you have enough. It’s not what you own, it’s the moments you’d never swap.

Being rich can simply be when you take a walk and don’t worry about your inbox. It’s laughing with friends. Its being present as a parent. Its spending time with people special to you.

Once you have those, you’re already rich.