Take a moment to consider whether you are wealthy.
Where did your mind go? Your bank account? Your health? Your home? Your friends? For many of us the concept of wealth is strongly linked to our Financial Capital. There is more! Depending on whom you talk to, you will find a varied number of Forms of Capital, which extend way beyond our bank accounts. This list is brought to you by Roland & Landua.
We have Social Capital – our relationships, those that we can depend on. In business our social capital might be measured by a more superficial level, such as how many Facebook likes, but in our personal lives, we all know the true value of social capital: those friends that we can turn to at any moment.
What about Intellectual Capital? Many companies value this. I value my own intellectual capital. Yet where would our intellectual capital be if we didn’t also have Experiential Capital? We need to get things done in the world! We have to know and do in this world to be successful.
How much do you value your home – the land, the environment, the food on your plate, the trees in the gardens and forests? This is Living Capital. What about your home, your laptop & iPhone? These things are Material Capital: the physical capital in our lives.
But there’s more! Spiritual and Cultural Capital. My Spiritual Capital became more apparent when I became a committed meditator: I started to realize the value of being able to let go of my ego (even if it was only for a moment or two) and understand that I was intimately connected to everyone around me. Cultural Capital relates to how we share, teach, communicate and connect with those around us: the ripple effect of our actions on our community. Depending on our livelihoods – these two forms of capital may be more explicitly addressed on a regular basis.
Who knew? 8 forms of Capital! Consider these the next time you make a choice about your work, what you do, who and how you communicate to those around you, what and where you decide to buy, whether you decide to meditate or pray. You may be richer than you think!
Tamsin Astor-Jack writes at www.tamsinastor.com
©Tamsin Astor-Jack, Yoga Brained LLC