A couple of months ago, a colleague shared he was putting together a talk for graduating optometry students. He asked our online forum, “What does it mean to be rich?” I found myself both mulling and discussing the question with my husband while we were in the car for a couple of hours. It’s an interesting question that created an introspective conversation.
Monetary Wealth
My first thought was monetary wealth. Being rich can mean having the financial resources to provide for basic necessities and some extras, such as a new car, a trip, or a vacation home.
Health Wealth
A friend is currently undergoing cancer treatments. I bet if I asked her this question, she would point to good health as being rich. (Monetary wealth doesn’t matter if we’re not healthy enough to enjoy the things financial wealth can provide.)My first thought was monetary wealth. Being rich can mean having the financial resources to provide for basic necessities and some extras, such as a new car, a trip, or a vacation home.
People Wealth
Someone else might answer, “being people rich.” A network of family, friends, or community can provide a sense of love and well-being that money could never buy.
One friend told me he was rich with loyal patients who had become an extended part of his family.
Purpose Wealth
Being rich can also mean having a sense of purpose. Our profession is lucky in that we deal with one of the most precious senses. Every day, we can make a difference in our patients’ lives by providing better eyesight. We all have stories where we may have even saved a life through early diagnosis.
For others, purpose means giving back to various organizations, whether in one’s community or within the optometric community. I have friends who go on mission trips and volunteer for the Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society. For years, my husband led a Boy Scout troop.
Time Wealth
For my husband and I, being rich is having time. Having the freedom to do what I love without feeling tied down with work obligations is important to me.
Our practice has 3 partners and an associate doctor. Each of us sees patients 2 to 4 days a week. We just had a partner meeting to discuss future goals, and it was nice realizing we all valued time.
Having that freedom allows us to spend time with the people we love and reduce the stress that ownership of a practice can sometimes create. In fact, being an owner is one of the greatest pleasures because we can decide what success looks like to us rather than having someone else dictate hours and care. We decide how we spend our time.
Back in the Car
During that car trip, we both admitted we might have defined being rich differently when we were in our 20’s compared to today. Life experiences have a way of changing how we see things.
Having Gratitude
While being rich may look different to each of us, I think having gratitude for the life we have goes a long way to feeling rich too. Gratitude allows us to be thankful for life’s small blessings. With that attitude, all of us are rich. OM
