Back in the late 90s, there was a TV show called Dark Angel. Literally the only things I remember about this show (I even had to go Google to remember the title) was that a) it had a young and very hot Jessica Alba, b) some of the scenes were ripped off by the Hitman movie, and c) this quote from the very beginning of the very first episode: “The thing I don’t get is why they call it a depression. I mean, everybody’s broke, but they aren’t really all that depressed. Life goes on.”
This quote always struck me because it was such a condemnation of the capitalist world we were enjoying at the cusp of the millennium. It all seemed very important and stressful and like without it we’d be Mad Max savages. But in fact, the Dotcom bubble had just burst. I lost my shiny new job (that we’d moved across the country and purchased a large house for) and my husband lost his. Yet somehow we muddled through. And again during 9/11 and again in ’08. Whatever this capitalist thing we’re so excited about (as currently practiced, it’s one part casino, one part mafia, one part toy envy) we sure aren’t very good at it.
But in the end, well, life goes on. And that’s because of all the wealth we have and build that isn’t stored in salaries and stock markets. That’s the wealth that matters and that’s the wealth that you don’t have to wait for a bubble to build. No you can build this kind of wealth even now…
Physical Wealth – Health, Energy, Skill
I’ve been saying for a long time that being healthy is an incredibly important fiscal investment. This is particularly true in the United States and other nations with 3rd world health care systems. But even if you live in more enlightened areas, it’s still critical to be as healthy as you can. This doesn’t just mean eating right and exercising (though it means those things, obviously) but also building your energy reserves and immune system.
Of course not everyone is blessed with perfect health. I just got through a year of cancer treatment, so you know, NOT HEALTHY. But the good news is that my immune system was strong which allowed me to weather treatment better and I ate well and wasn’t smoking or drinking. So despite having been ill, this advice hasn’t changed — be as healthy as you can be.
Another kind of physical wealth is in your skills. Having useful physical skills like fixing, repairing, growing, and so on are a kind of store of wealth. Being able to mend things instead of paying someone else — or buying new, storing food when it’s cheap for when it’s not, making the things you need… all incredibly useful, no matter what’s going on in the larger world.
Mental Wealth – Coherence, Curiosity, Acumen
Not the same as mental health (though it contributes to it) this has to do with the clarity and calmness of your thinking. The ability to stay coherent under stress, to keep our curiosity alive, and our general mental clarity are incredibly beneficial. The more you can keep your head straight, the better your decision making and strategizing will be. The more perspective you have, the easier it is to feel optimism, joy, and gratitude (which feels better and works better than pessimism and despair). Taking time to still your thinking, be in nature, and avoiding things that drive you crazy (comment threads everywhere!) is good medicine for everyone.
It’s also about staying sharp and staying curious about the world… which is what will help you build those physical skills. So even if you have been struggling with feeling down during all this (waves hands at the world) you can still decide that you want to learn to grow edible mushrooms or knit socks or master geomancy.
Emotional Wealth – Family, Community, Love
Having people to care about and having people care about you, whether that’s family, friends, or wider community, is a powerful form of wealth. In fact, before actual money was invented it WAS wealth — a network of exchange that was based on the connections you could leverage.
Our society, while showering us with things, also disconnects us from other people. And that was before! Now it’s even worse and harder to make connections. But make them you must. We’re social creatures and even if you are a card-carrying introvert, you probably aren’t introverted enough to want to be completely alone. If this one seems impossible right now, just remember that helping others, caring for animals, engaging with spirits, and reaching out at a distance are all still acts of connection.
Spiritual Wealth – Enchantment, Wonder, Joy
The more you can see the world as an enchanted, haunted, spirit-filled place, the better off you will be. First, because it’s simply more fulfilling to live in an alive and enchanted world rather than a dead, mechanistic one… and that has direct benefits to your mental and emotional wealth. Second, the world is full of other peoples (tree peoples, river peoples, animal people) and all kinds of spirits (from ancestors to Gods) with whom you can engage. An alive world is one that’s full of information; it’s speaking to you all the time and you can speak to it as well. That adds to your community, your knowledge, and your wellbeing.
Right now and right outside my window, a whole collection of green persons are turning sunlight into energy and exhaling oxygen and growing and speaking with one another through their roots and the air. I can’t help but love them! Plus I can chat with my grandmother and my great-grandmother and know that they will help my mother with her last journey when the times comes, which is a huge relief. Our crow friends got their normal morning treat and they’ve been kind enough to harrow hawks who get too interested in our chicken coop.
I get that, living in the place and time we do, having some ready cash is necessary to live. And that’s a shame honestly, but a reality we must deal with. Still, no matter how the bills shake out this month or next, it’s useful to remember that you have wealth that has nothing to do with money… wealth that they can’t tax or steal. Because life goes on, you know?
