4 Ways to Measure Your Wealth Outside Your Tax Bracket

I get it. It’s that time of year. W2s and TurboTax. Ready and waiting to see how much you’re getting back (or in some cases, how much you still owe). How easy it is to get wrapped up in those numbers, letting them tell you how successful you are in life. But why? Why, in a time as forward-thinking as this, do we still determine the value of a person based on the amount of money they bring in each year? Not only are we sizing up those around us, we’re scrutinizing ourselves. Regardless of how hard you work, always trying to find a “side hustle” or picking up extra hours. Sure, you might be paying your bills on time. You do not want for food. You have a reliable car that gets you places. But still, you want more.

Now, I’m not here to tell you that it’s wrong to want more out of life. It’s 2019, and you can be anything you want to be if you work hard and want it badly enough. In fact, I’m all for supporting you and your dreams! But I am also here to tell you that you are so much more than your income.

While I’m writing this post for you, I’m also writing it largely for myself. To remind myself to quit getting bogged down by what others might think of me. And to remember that one of my main reasons for starting this little corner of the internet was to show people just how much fun you can have with whatever you’ve been blessed with – no matter how small. 😉 So I’m going to talk about four different ways you should be measuring your wealth – taking the monetary aspect totally out of the equation.

Sweatshirt // Jeans // Shoes // Hat

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FAMILY

I attended a university a little under two hours from home. During my freshman year, my friends would constantly make fun of me for visiting my family on the weekends or calling my mom just to chat or tell her about my day. They thought I should be focusing on having a blast at school and enjoying the time away from my family! But by the time senior year rolled around, those same friends would tell me just how lucky I was to have such a close relationship with my parents. How blessed I was to be able to visit my 95 year old grandma several times a semester. They envied me.

Don’t take your relationship with your parents/siblings/grandparents, etc. for granted, guys. There are so many individuals in the world who would give anything for a family. Regardless of how dysfunctional or needy or whatever they might be, they’re yours. That’s a blessing you might not fully appreciate right now, but you will!

 

FRIENDS

Whether you have an entire group of them or just one really really good one, friends are something I wouldn’t want to do life without. You might not have any that live close enough for you to see them in person more than a couple of times a year. Your friends might be people you met online and still haven’t seen face to face! Or. You might feel like you don’t have a friend in the world. If that’s the case, I would highly recommend joining The Sassy Club – an online community of girls and women who are looking for the same thing! To give and receive advice, recommendations, prayers, friendship, support. I’ve made several internet friends there that I am so very thankful for!

 

HEALTH

Okay, that sounds super cliche. But it’s true!! Your health is absolutely something you should acknowledge and thank God for every day. There are literally millions of people who would give just about anything to be as healthy as you. Don’t take that blessing lightly. Use it. Go for a run. Fuel your body with foods that will nourish it. Get more sleep at night. You’ve been given this gift – don’t waste it!

 

GOD’S  LOVE

By far the most important way to measure your wealth. The crazy thing about God’s love is that it never runs out. You can never have too much. And there will always be enough. If you have no one, nothing, not even have an income, and feel more alone than you ever have, you still have God. And that has to bring some smidgen of comfort. It overwhelms me when I stop and think about it, that’s for sure. No matter what career path I’m on, no matter how much money I’m making, whether I get married or have kids or stay single til the day I die, God’s love covers me continually. It covers you, too. Never forget that.

 

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Even if things are going swimmingly for you financially right now, it’s always a good idea to keep these things in mind when counting your blessings! Always be aware of them, because life is fickle and one day they might be all you have. Not to sound too melancholy. Haha. I like to think of myself as a generally happy human! But I let money get me down just as much as the next person, and that’s not cool. Here’s to hoping you have a little better outlook on your situation now, whatever it may be!

Candidly,

Kristianna