Spread Your Wealth

The other day, someone said, “You give a lot, Paul. Make sure you receive too.” It struck me as odd, because I’ve never lived through a time when I’ve received more. I may not have much money or fame, but every morning I wake up with hundreds of ideas for songs, essays, and things to share. If that isn’t abundance, I don’t know what is.

I didn’t always think this way. I used to worry about getting proportionate appreciation for the work I do. I saw myself as a leader — an image I used to try to control my experience — and expected others to see me that way too. But over time I learned that the greatest privilege in life isn’t to be a leader, but to be a worker given the chance to do good work. The rest always follows.

Not everyone has my journey, but I think this lesson is universal: you are already full. You might not yet like what you’re full of. You might be full of anger or full of sadness or full of shit. It doesn’t matter. You’re full of something that is its own abundance. And if you stop trying to sell yourself for some imagined higher value, you’ll see that you are already rich.

In Buddhism, there’s a practice called anumodana: when you see someone doing good, you appreciate it, and by acknowledging that person’s goodness, you gain a share in it. It reminds us that worth isn’t defined by personal achievement. If you can recognize generosity, you are already connected to your gifts. If you can recognize beauty, you are already beautiful. Your mind may resist this, but try anyway. See, at very least, that nothing shrinks you faster than self-promotion.

So spread your wealth. Don’t hoard your money, time, talents, or appreciation. Don’t wait for a “better” moment to give. That’s backwards. Pour yourself into the present, and offer up whatever you notice inside: your longing, your neediness, your confusion. Give it all away. Nature abhors a vacuum, and in the space you open by giving, splendors will come rushing in. Baby you’re a rich man.

Quentin Matsys, “The Money Changer and His Wife” (1514)