Insights Blog
What is Wealth?
Jun 19, 2023 // Adam Bruderly
According to Investopedia “wealth is measured by taking the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person. This is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of scarce resources.” According to this definition we live in a society that truly defines wealth as a number.
However, is that the true definition of wealth? We at Journey believe true wealth is comprised of so much more and that the equation should start with the most “scarce resource” …TIME. That is why we do things differently and believe it is time to rewrite the equation. That this formula needs to include many other components like health, family, happiness, and purpose on top of that number that you see in your account.
This led me to do a bit of the back of the napkin math…
Considering that my kids are currently 8 and 5 years old, I have approximately 4,745 days and 3,650 days until they leave the house, respectively.
At my current age of 44, if I reach the age of 85, I will have approximately 14,965 days or 2,138 weeks remaining in my life. Regardless of the measurement, these numbers decrease each day.
What is Wealth?
According to Investopedia “wealth is measured by taking the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person. This is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of scarce resources.”
How Many Summers?
After my first son was born, I began to think about what the next phase of our lives looked like. We went from two busy professionals who could hop on a plane for a weekend trip, grab dinner, or chase endless weekend adventures to first time parents. We were 2,000 miles away from family trying to plan the one or two trips a year that we could see them which led me to ask this question, how many summers do we have left?
The Power of Time
Our humans are brains are instinctively wired to prioritize immediate needs and wants, such as quenching hunger, ensuring safety, or yielding to the allure of instant gratification. This is a survival mechanism that has evolved over tens of thousands of years to help us respond to threats, opportunities, and ultimate survival. However, this tendency to emphasize the short term can be counterproductive and have a detrimental effect when it comes to planning and our financial success.