Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.

Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. – Oscar Wilde

These are the ordinary riches which can be stolen... and look, it would appear that they have been!

What does that mean?
Ordinary riches are the things we buy, keep, hoard, hide and treasure. Those can be protected, but they can still be stolen. The riches of your soul, of who you are and what you stand for, those cannot be stolen, and are far more precious than the ordinary trinkets of every day life.

They cannot steal your love of your fellow man, your compassion, your dignity or your best self. Those, the greatest riches you possess, cannot be stolen by others, but can only be abandoned by you.

Why are inner riches important?  
To me, your inner riches are what defines the real you. Your physical body defines you height, weight, hair color and all that, but is that really you? There is an old expression that asks if clothes really make the man.

Just as the answer to the question is no (a fool in a $5000 suit is still a fool, and a wise man in a T-Shirt is still a wise man), the real you is neither defined by your clothes nor by your body. The real you are these inner riches.

You’ve seen movies where the nice looking and well dressed person is the bad guy (or gal), right? And so it is in real life. Your inner beauty (or handsomeness) is what is truly important, not the outer facade.

Where can I apply this in my life?
How do you use your inner riches? Well, you simply act in accordance with your values. This might better be described by attempting to answer the following question: How do I develop my inner riches?

I would start by making a list of all the things you value within yourself or others. Not the material possessions, but personal attributes and values. Would you place value on the Dalai Lama’s patience? What about Mother Teresa’s love for others? The steadfastness of Winston Churchill? The dedication of Casey Jones? The logic of Socrates?

If you have someone specific in mind when you think of a particular value or attribute, you have an automatic role model to try to imitate, right? Then you can use that person as both a yardstick and a mentor. For the more famous people (or those who are deceased), you can use books (biographies, memoirs, etc) to help you understand them.

I have found that for me, these qualities are supported by beliefs. Churchill believed that if the British fell to Germany, Europe would be lost, and likely the war as well. He believed his back was against the wall, and that helped him be so resolute and steadfast.

If you wanted to become that resolute and steadfast, you will probably need to find something within you that you can use to remind yourself that you cannot back down. What that might be will be dependant on you and your situation, as well as the situation in your life.

You don’t want to be overly rigid in every aspect of your life, that would be as bad as being a push-over at all time. But there are places where compromise with core values are not an option. If you feel all life is sacred, you might have a problem with a ‘compromise’ on abortion or capital punishment, right?

Look at your list of values and attributes, and the people who embody them. Select the one you value the most and start planning. There will probably be some research to do. Library? Online? Talking to the person (if it’s a friend you admire)? What next?

I would follow the research with an investigation of my life. When and where would the attribute I wish to improve be used? What would I do differently that would be more appropriate for the improved me?

Once you have an idea about the when & where you’ll have an opportunity and the what & how you will improve, it’s time to figure out how to trigger a new response. How will you remember to do it differently?

Now all you have to do is practice, and improve. Then add another attribute or value. Pretty soon, your treasure will increase to the point where others are looking to you for guidance. That’s when life gets really good!

From: Twitter, @TheQuoteToday
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/o/oscarwilde106840.html
Photo by Walter Boy