Real Wealth? The True Luxuries of Life

There’s so much talk in recent years about the wealth gap between the ultra-rich billionaires and the rest of the population, and how it has reached record levels. The top 1% of U.S. households now control roughly 32% of the nation’s wealth—a greater share than the bottom 90% combined. It really is an astonishing figure.

Reading those kinds of numbers reminded me of a college Statistics class I took years ago. It was a foundational class to meet a basic requirement, but the professor used the last ten minutes of a mid-semester session to ask us a simple question:

What do you consider to be life’s luxuries?

One kid mentioned sleeping in, which got a nervous laugh from the room full of both stressed-out students trying their best to do well and the other half of the class exhausted from too much partying. Another student said having an expensive Rolex watch.

Most of the answers were pretty simple, though a few were truly extravagant. Of course, the kid who seemed to wear a new pair of hard-to-acquire, expensive-looking sneakers every single day said something about having a brand-new outfit for every day of the week!

After listening to us, the professor told us that while the choice was up to us, the real luxuries of life were already within our grasp. I laughed at the time, but looking back at his list all these years later, it feels entirely achievable. I’ve seen variations on this list, but it generally has similar items.

It makes you wonder: who is the real billionaire now?

What do you think? What would you add? If you had to pick just one item from this list that you couldn’t live without this week, which would it be? Let me know in the comments.

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The Real Luxuries of Life:

–A good night’s sleep and daily naps.

–Slow, slow mornings.

–The freedom to choose — to do what you want, when you want to do it — and the ability to freely express yourself.

–Peace. Calmness and serenity to face the highs and the lows, the ups and the down, and whatever life throws at us.

–Time for fun, play, and long walks.

–Simple pleasures, like listening to birds singing, a good book, looking at a piece of art or a colorful sunset.

–Connection, through a favorite home-cooked meal, listening to a favorite piece of music, and back-and-forth conversation with a great friend.

–Loved ones. People you love and who love you back.