Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.
—Oscar Wilde
If you are consciously preparing for collapse, a valuable exercise might be an assessment of what cannot be taken away from you. We live in a time of enormous loss—loss of ecosystems, loss of employment, loss of home, community, friends, retirement, health care, and above all, loss of meaning. Because so few modern humans are familiar with their precious internal resources, the loss of external resources may feel insufferable, and they resort to myriad forms of self-medication or even take their own lives. In fact, the losses of our turbulent times will either drive us to discover the untold riches within or risk an implosion as a result of outward stress pushing against what feels like an inner void.
Our inner riches are not uniquely ours, and having them does not mean that we are special. Actually, as we assess our inner riches, it is crucial not to compare ourselves with anyone. As soon as we do, we are likely to become lost in the external world yet again. Rather, I suggest, dear reader, that you allow yourself to sit quietly, patiently, and contemplatively with your gifts, your personal qualities, and the life experiences that have helped form who you are today.
Notice things like compassion, courage, empowerment, the ability to listen, empathy, tenacity, patience, generosity, inspiration, joy, creativity, loyalty, discernment, humor, and a strong sense of boundaries. Reflect on other challenging situations in your life that may have felt untenable and impassable. What lessons did you learn? No one can take those away from you—ever.
Try finishing this sentence: “When I was confronted with the situation of___________, I wouldn’t have survived it if I hadn’t been__________.” What aspect of your character—who you fundamentally are—allowed you to survive? Whatever your economic situation is or will be, answers to questions such as these reveal nothing less than pure gold—riches that cannot be stolen.