What is Wealth?

Cultural Awareness, Mindfulness, Philosophy, , , , , ,

Once there was a wealthy father who was concerned that a privileged upbringing might give his son a limited view of life. He decided his son needed to see how the other half lived. To do this, he asked his personal assistant to find a very poor family who would be willing to allow him and his son to visit and stay with them.

After weeks of searching she found a very poor farming family who lived in an impoverished country area and organized for her boss and his son to live with them for a couple of days and nights. At the end of the visit, as they were driving back to their expensive suburban mansion, the father asked his son, “What did you think of our stay on the farm?”

“It was great, thanks, Dad,” came the reply.

Keen to see if he had achieved the mission of his visit, the father asked, “Has it helped you to see how poor people live?”

“Sure has,” answered his son.

“Well, tell me about it. What did you learn?” enquired the father.

“I learnt,” his son responded, “that while we have a swimming pool fenced into our backyard, they have a creek with swimming holes, a Tarzan rope hanging from a tree, and rapids they ride on old car tubes.”

“We have one dog that lives in a kennel. They have four that live with them.”

“Our large house stretches almost to the borders of our small piece of land. They have a small house on open fields that stretch beyond sight.”

“Our patio looks out on a neatly mown lawn whereas they view their garden, fields, trees, and hills to the very horizon.”

“Spotlights turn our yard into day at night. They have nothing but thousands of twinkling stars to light their night.”

“We have to drive to the supermarket to buy our vegetables but they grow theirs right outside the back door.”

“We have servants to serve our meals and clean our house. They serve each other and clean up together.”

“Our property has walls that fence others out and us in. Their fences contain milking cows and woolly lambs.”

“We have security alarms, barred windows, and locks to protect us while they have family and friends to protect them.”

The father looked at his son in absolute amazement.

“Thanks Dad,” the boy added. “I never realized how poor we are.”

(101 Stories for Enhancing Happiness and Well-Being Using Metaphors, p.208)

__________

Question: How does this metaphor compare to your perception of wealth?

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

(photo by Guilherme Stecanella, Unsplash)

Freiheitsentscheidungen

Cultural Awareness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, ,

Ich denke an meine österreichischen Landsleute. Mein Geburtsland scheint gespalten und Propaganda scheint den Keil noch tiefer zu treiben.

Wenn ich an unsere kollektive Geschichte denke, mache ich mir Sorgen, wohin dies (wieder) führen könnte. Was kommt nach der Teilung? Trennung? Einen Sündenbock finden? Dann was?

Ich denke immer wieder über dieses Dilemma nach. Und ich will verstehen. Lassen Sie mich ein paar Fragen stellen.

Die Situation, wie sie sich mir in den Geschichten darstellt, die ich von Menschen höre und lese, die ich kenne:

Die Regierung nimmt uns einige unserer Freiheiten, und wir fühlen uns eingeschränkt. Einige von uns kämpfen, indem sie hartnäckig sind oder sich beschweren. Andere sind eher nach innen gerichtet unglücklich. Einige mögen an konstruktivem politischem Aktivismus beteiligt sein; andere vertrauen darauf, dass die Staats- und Regierungschefs unserer Länder ihr Bestes geben.

Derzeit werden uns einige der Freiheiten genommen, an die wir uns gewohnt haben, wie die Freiheit zu reisen, die Freiheit, Freunde zu treffen, die Freiheit, einen Schaufensterbummel zu machen oder ein gutes Essen in einem Restaurant zu genießen.

Ich stelle folgendes zur Debatte:

Unsere Freiheit ist niemals absolut. Es gibt immer einige Einschränkungen für unsere tatsächlichen Entscheidungen.

Freiheit wird dann zur Wahl. Wir können uns ganz unabhängig von den Umständen dafür entscheiden, glücklich zu sein. Wir können glücklich sein, dass wir leben, zufrieden sein, spazieren gehen zu können, die Sonne, den Wind und die Sterne lieben. Wir können unsere emotionale Reaktion wählen, wenn wir hören, dass Menschen Negativität verbreiten, wir können sogar den Fernseher ausschalten oder uns von diesen Menschen abwenden.

Wir können wählen, auf welche Gefühle wir reagieren: Liebe oder Hass, Zufriedenheit oder Unruhe….

Vorschlag:

Geben Sie immer Ihr Bestes, aus einer Position der Liebe und Rücksichtnahme. Lass Sie alles andere los und seien sie glücklich, in diesem Moment.

Schreiben Sie mir bitte Ihren Gedanken. Danke!

My Freedom in a Tree (August 8, 2021)

Global Cultural Mindset (Part 1: Values)

Cultural Awareness, Personal Development, Self-Reliance, , , ,

For a seemingly long time, the work was becoming smaller as global travel became easier and more and more affordable. Then, a pandemic hit, and the world seemed to expand. Sometimes, the other side of the earth seems to be as far away as another planet. Then again, we are interacting and working with people from all over the world, often in a virtual setting.

In my work as a teacher and a life coach I have come to learn about the cultural challenges a global setting can provide for individuals. In a synthesis of my training as a sociologist, my experience as a teacher, and the many wonderful things I learned from people I have worked with, I have created a program.

The series is called “Developing a Global Cultural Mindset”. Part 1 is all about VALUES: Values answer the question:

“In a world where you could choose to have your life be about something,
what would you choose?”
(Wilson & Murrell, 2004, 135)

Why is it important to be aware of our values? – Values are our inner compass. Being aware of our values helps us navigate our life in the direction that we choose.

For a short time, the first self-exploratory exercise “Reflection on Values” is available for free.