One of my students asked me why I don’t live in a mansion.
“You write books. You tell stories in big places. You’re famous on YouTube and TikTok. You have a Wikipedia page. Why do you still live in a normal house?
I had to explain to my student that publishing books and performing on stages are profitable endeavors. Even social media can make you money. But I have yet to reach mansion-level success.
“Also,” I said, “I don’t want a mansion.”
A kitchen and second-floor bathroom remodel would be great, but our home is just fine.
“Why don’t you want a mansion?” my student asked. “And drive something better than a stupid minivan?”
I explained to my student that it’s not the cars, homes, jewelry, and other physical manifestations of wealth that matter.
At least not to me. And it shouldn’t matter much to anyone, though some dummies think these things are most important.
“Then what?” she asked.
So I made a list of what I consider to be the real luxuries of life:
Time
Choice
Health
The ability to travel
The ability to be physically active
Quality sleep
Friendship
The people I love
The people who love me
She looked at my list and said, “I still think you should put a mansion on your list.”
She’s young. She’ll learn, I hope.
