Today I am catching up from the Holiday week. Thank you, as always, for reading my blog.

November 27. “Life is like a game of tennis; the person who serves well seldom loses.” (Anonymous)

If I live my life in the service of others, then I will generally do very well in life. That is the theme that I take away from this quote. I know from my own experience that when I am serving others – whether as a volunteer at my Church or in Scouting, as a parent, or as a leader at work – I have always felt best about myself. Service, for me, is a source of inner peace and a way to find my own, personal fulfillment.

I don’t know if that equates to winning by anyone else’s definition, but being at peace and fulfilled surely feels like victory to me.

November 28. “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them. (George Bernard Shaw)

Some people are just natural, born go getters. They are constantly looking for some opportunity for themselves. Sometimes these people are bargain hunters who search high and low for the best deal on things. Others are those who constantly search for projects that they find interesting both at work and at home. The list can go on. The point is that there are clearly some people who do not just let life come to them, they put themselves in places where they control their destiny.

Sometimes I am a person like that. Sometimes I actively seek out challenging projects or opportunities to take on that will be fun and enriching. Other times I let life come to me. Perhaps if I took on that first attitude more often, I would be farther ahead in life than I am. But, truth be told, I am just not that person. I am not the person who is constantly looking to get ahead, or to achieve beyond all others. I strive for contentment, and that contentment is usually self-defined.

I find this works best for me because…

November 29. “Money never made anyone rich.” (Seneca)

This past Thursday marked the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US. At many dinner tables around the country people paused to list those things for which they are most thankful. In the past month, on social media like Facebook and Twitter, many people have taken time every day to give thanks for something in their lives. I have heard and read dozens, even hundreds of these reflections. Not once did I see anyone list the size of their bank account, the performance of their 401K, or even the stash of cash in the coffee can buried in the back yard.

I truly am a blessed person. I have an amazing wife, four children who make me proud every day, a daughter-in-law to be who complements my son well, friends whom I love and who love me, an extended family that is supportive, caring and loving, and so much more. I consider myself to be very rich indeed.

For me it is most definitely true that money does not make me rich. I could have an unlimited supply of cash, but if I had not the love of family and friends, I would consider myself to be poor. Money can buy security, and comfort. It can ensure that my days include a roof over my head, and food on the table. It can even provide for luxuries like vacations or expensive toys. But, without the love of family and friends, I would feel hollow, cold and alone.

Today my reflection, as I catch up on my blog, is on just how blessed and rich I am in life because of all the love I feel for others, and feel back from them tenfold.