Rich or Poor

This last two weeks as the stock market has taken the "dive" and we watch the world change and panic, we can look at life in several ways. I have talked lots lately with family and friends about being poor (money wise speaking) now as my 401K has turned into a very limited amount. I read this story or thought today and it gave me a jump start to change my thinking:
Rich Or Poor - How Rich Are You?It All Depends on the way You Look At Things

One day a rich father took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night on the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?""Very good Dad!""Did you see how poor people can be?"the father asked."Yeah!""And what did you learn?"The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end.We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars.Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!

How rich are YOU? How much do you have in your account. I have decided that I have many accounts in this life. I have an account of money, an account of stuff (material things), an account of family, and an account of friends and a spiritual account, and a personal "me" account. I get to choose how much I have in each account. I also get to decide what I take out of each account.

I can deposit in my spiritual account by attendance at church, my personal prayer and study and temple attendance. I can feel the spirit if I put myself in places where it can be. I can loose that feeling and spirit even more quickly when I fail to continue to make deposits. Life will deduct from it each day with little things like stuff we see on tv, movies, or radio, the friends we associate or even the places we work and the people we work with. Where is my account and where is yours?

My personal account is all about me. This is not a selfish me, but a me that is accountable for the care I give my physical body, the things I eat, the things I do each day. It is the anger that I may have towards the "things" that happen to me or by me. It can be the good feelings for doing something for someone else that no one knows of. It can be the call or card from a family member just saying hello, an invite to go to lunch from a friend, the joy of watching the sunrise or set, my yard and my view from it as the seasons change. Each minute of my life and the way I am making a positive or negative difference in my account balance here on this earth?

My family account is the one I feel is the most important one for me to make the best deposits. It is the account that I never want to run into a negative balance. It is the account that is the working account. It is my every day deposit and draw from account. It is busy, and full of action. I must work hard to keep it with a positive balance. On days that I have not been able to add to that account however, many times my family has made deposits for me. They have given me physical, financial, moral, spiritual and emotional deposits. How awesome is that. I hope that I am making deposits in their accounts as well. They are my worldly and eternal accounting and reward.

My friends are an account that I have also been blessed to have an abundance of. My account runs over in that field. Along with family, my friends have always added to my account. I have been blessed with friends whose values and standards have lifted me up and added to my account. They too make big deposits into my life. This is also my eternal account. I hope and pray that I am leaving deposits of good deeds, and spiritually lifting them in their lives and making a positive deposit as well. They brighten my day, they will always be eternal deposits.

So, as I look at these accounts, which account takes on the least in value. The accounts of money and material things. Oh yes, I have been so blessed in this field as well, but what value are them in the long run. They make life better, sometimes easier, and some things are musts to have, but will they be an eternal want or need.

I am so glad to have read that little story and realized that I need to "visit the farm of the poor family more often" so that I can be reminded of how much I have and I realize the importance of those blessings.