How to Lead a Richer Life

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Setting goals to better ourselves is so closely intertwined with human nature because all of us want to develop bit by bit and achieve our dreams and ambitions. For many people, the dream of material wealth is one of their main long-term goals; it’s an ambition that powers some of the estimated 100 million start-ups that launch each year and acts as a powerful motivator. So, what does increase your odds of becoming rich in life?

When it comes to money, however, if you solely focus on wanting to earn more, you’ll most likely never be satisfied with what you have and will often be feeling like you never have enough. Achieving a state of satisfaction with the present moment is one of the most peaceful ways of being, but if the desire for financial wealth becomes too strong, it can be hard to achieve such a balanced state. Although financial freedom is important, a richer life involves so much more than just a big bank balance.

The State of “Flow”

There are states and attitudes that we can tap into that will make our lives richer on spiritual and emotional levels. One of these is the state of “flow”, a term originated by distinguished psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi but also known to the world as self-actualization. Many of the great thinkers and scholars of human behavior of the 20th century have also spoken about this: Abraham Maslow called it the peak experience and Joseph Campbell described it as the rapture. Whatever the term or classification, the state of flow is about engaging with the present moment. To be completely involved in an activity, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant, means that time, ego and blockages will melt away — “your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

Engaging in Creative Action

Being in flow is a state of consciousness that can be reached through meditation or other awareness-based practices as well as just paying attention. To be in flow means to be absolutely in the moment, distraction-free, and it can often be attained through creative activities like drawing, writing, dancing, singing or by just paying attention during household chores like washing the dishes!

A richer life is one that also involves plenty of creativity. Unfortunately, we live in an age where many of us are conditioned to believe that we are not creative, but this is just not true! Our whole lives are an act of creativity and if we could only see that instead of shying away from creative endeavors, we would all be able to experience much happier and fulfilling lives. To change our behaviors, we need to first change our thoughts, and we can do this by embracing our own inner creativity. This doesn’t mean you should be coming up with big ideas or zany concepts, but rather, you should recognize the creative power that you hold at your core. If you believe that you can create your daily experiences by projecting kindness and compassion into the world, then you’ll start to understand just how valuable your creativity is.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is the basis of so many self-improvement methods; however, taking just a few moments a day to feel grateful is scientifically proven to improve mental well-being. Professor of Psychology and researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky’s seminal work “The How of Happiness” describes a study in which five participants spent time being grateful for many things that were present in their lives. At the end of the study, all the participants displayed measurable increases in their well-being.

No matter where you are in your life or how far away you are from your goals, you can take a moment every day to appreciate the things that you do have. Appreciating the people you surround yourself with, the helpful activities you do and the job or business that earns you an income will work wonders in taking you from a mindset of lack to one of fulfillment and deeper embracing of a richer life.

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