WHAT YOU POSSESS MAY BE POSSESSING YOU
Ownership is an interesting concept.
We spend our lives acquiring things.
Homes.
Cars.
Businesses.
Money.
Collections.
Investments.
Yet somewhere along the way, a question presents itself:
Do we own these things…
Or do they own us?
WHO OWNS WHO…
AND WHY?
WHAT YOU POSSESS MAY BE POSSESSING YOU
I understand the concept of ownership.
Secure something.
Protect it.
Maintain it.
Use it.
Pass it on.
No problem there.
What interests me is the larger question.
Do we actually own anything?
Or are we simply temporary stewards passing through?
THE REAL ESTATE LESSON
Take real estate for example.
In many parts of the world, property stays within families for generations.
One generation receives it.
Another maintains it.
Another inherits it.
The cycle continues.
But even there, ownership has conditions.
Taxes.
Maintenance.
Insurance.
Stewardship.
Neglect any of those long enough and someone else eventually owns what you once called yours.
America has its own version of this.
Pay your taxes.
Pay your insurance.
Pay your fees.
Miss enough of them and ownership becomes a discussion.
The lesson is simple.
What we call ownership often comes with obligations.
LOTS OF RESPONSIBILITY
The larger the possession, the greater the responsibility.
A home requires maintenance.
A business requires attention.
A vehicle requires upkeep.
Investments require oversight.
Everything owned asks something of its owner.
The question becomes:
How much of your life are you spending maintaining things?
And how much are you spending living?
NAKED YOU COME…
NAKED YOU GO
One of life’s greatest equalizers is remembering how we arrive and how we leave.
Empty-handed.
Nobody arrives carrying a suitcase.
Nobody leaves carrying a moving van.
The same hands that once grabbed tightly eventually let go.
Every single one of us.
Kings.
Presidents.
Millionaires.
Billionaires.
Laborers.
Farmers.
Teachers.
Parents.
The great exit door treats everyone equally.
That realization should humble us.
THE MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING
I once worked for a man for over twelve years.
He had survived the Great Depression.
He had lived through world wars.
He had built wealth.
Accumulated property.
Created influence.
Achieved success by most worldly measurements.
And yet something was missing.
Nothing seemed to matter except possessions.
Money.
Assets.
Control.
More assets.
More control.
More money.
At some point, the pursuit had become the purpose.
THE COST OF THE PURSUIT
His children eventually asked me a question.
“How do you work for him?”
That question revealed much.
You see, while he had accumulated enormous wealth, he had lost something along the way.
Family closeness.
Connection.
Meaningful relationships.
His children felt neglected.
His grandchildren felt distant.
The wealth increased.
The intimacy decreased.
The balance sheet looked fantastic.
The family sheet did not.
THE SUBTLE EXCHANGE
This rarely happens overnight.
Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to exchange people for possessions.
It happens slowly.
One deal.
One promotion.
One opportunity.
One pursuit.
Then another.
Then another.
Before long, the pursuit begins to consume the pursuer.
And that is the danger.
PEARLS TO PONDER
One of the great truths I have discovered is this:
Whatever you get into…
Gets into you.
If you get into kindness, kindness gets into you.
If you get into gratitude, gratitude gets into you.
If you get into service, service gets into you.
But if you get into greed, greed gets into you.
If you get into power, power gets into you.
If you get into possessions, possessions can get into you too.
The question is not whether something affects you.
The question is what it is doing while it is affecting you.
THE OWNERSHIP TEST
Here is a simple test.
Can you walk away from it?
Can you lose it and still be yourself?
Can you function without it?
Can you remain grateful without it?
Can you remain kind without it?
Can you remain peaceful without it?
If the answer is yes, you own it.
If the answer is no, it may own you.
THE TRUE WEALTH
The older I get, the more convinced I become that the true wealth of life is found in people.
A good spouse.
A loyal friend.
A loving child.
A wise mentor.
A faithful neighbor.
A shared laugh.
A meaningful conversation.
A family dinner.
A memory that lasts forever.
These are the treasures that appreciate with time.
THE GIFT OF YOU
When your journey ends, people will not remember the size of your checking account.
They will remember your smile.
Your laughter.
Your wisdom.
Your kindness.
Your generosity.
Your example.
Your character.
As I have often written:
“The greatest treasure you will ever discover is another human being.”
That includes you.
WHAT THEN?
Own what you own.
Enjoy it.
Care for it.
Be grateful for it.
But hold it loosely.
Remember that stewardship is different from ownership.
Remember that possessions are tools, not masters.
Remember that wealth is meant to serve life, not replace it.
And above all, leave behind something more valuable than money.
Leave behind the gift of yourself.
Because long after the possessions are divided…
The memory of who you were remains.
Own that if you can.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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