Image Credit - quotefancy
The title of today's post is derived from the pejorative name given to Seneca (typically, behind his back) by his Roman contemporaries. Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a wealthy person, you see, during a time when it was fashionable for those who practiced and studied philosophy to apparently be poor, of mendicant status, or to be supported financially by wealthy patrons (of course, the flow of finances was dependent on the appraisal value of the lessons given by those ignorant to their inherent value in the first place - #EgoBullshit).
It was true, Seneca did indeed have vast wealth, but I believe the difference between most people’s relationship with wealth and Seneca’s was that Seneca KNEW he didn’t NEED this wealth to be happy. There was no dependence upon it, no identity created by it’s existence, and no addiction to it… simply put, he understood his wealth to be something beyond his control, and that he himself must only do good in the world, regardless of whether he was wealthy or not. This type of approach to wealth is pragmatic, like this month’s core-lesson. Most other approaches to wealth come down the moral road, but just like in Seneca’s case, we’re trying to separate ego from wealth.
Remember, financial success does not come with a requirement that one must live beyond one’s means.
Ultimately, we can be happy with next to nothing… if we want to.
(See y’all tomorrow)
It was true, Seneca did indeed have vast wealth, but I believe the difference between most people’s relationship with wealth and Seneca’s was that Seneca KNEW he didn’t NEED this wealth to be happy. There was no dependence upon it, no identity created by it’s existence, and no addiction to it… simply put, he understood his wealth to be something beyond his control, and that he himself must only do good in the world, regardless of whether he was wealthy or not. This type of approach to wealth is pragmatic, like this month’s core-lesson. Most other approaches to wealth come down the moral road, but just like in Seneca’s case, we’re trying to separate ego from wealth.
Remember, financial success does not come with a requirement that one must live beyond one’s means.
Ultimately, we can be happy with next to nothing… if we want to.
(See y’all tomorrow)
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