What Does It Mean to Have a Rich Life?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to have a “rich life”.

And I want to make something very clear from the beginning: I am not financially rich.

Not even remotely.

I don’t have a huge house, a designer wardrobe, a fancy car or endless disposable income. There are plenty of things I would love to have, and plenty of times I have to think carefully about where my money is going.

But despite that, I genuinely believe that I have a very rich life.

And the older I get, the more I realise that these two things are not necessarily connected.

My Version of Rich

When I think about being rich now, I don't think about money.

I think about waking up and looking around at the life I have created.

I have a simple home, but it is a home I love. It is in a location I dreamed about living in for most of my life.

I get to live somewhere that other people save up to visit for a week or two each year.

I get to call it home.

That, to me, is wealth.

I have a husband who complements my life.

Most of the time.

(He can also be incredibly annoying sometimes, but I’m sure he would say the same about me… so we’ll call it balance!)

But underneath the teasing, I feel incredibly lucky to have someone beside me who shares this life with me.

And then there are the animals.

Two dogs who are completely and utterly loved.

And now a kitten who, at the moment, appears to be growing into a lion rather than a cat.

I genuinely don't know how something so small can create so much chaos.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

They bring so much joy, personality, laughter and, occasionally, destruction into our home.

And I wouldn't swap them for anything.

I Love What I Do

I also feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I love my job.

Is it easy?

Absolutely not.

There are days when I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day.

There are days when I am juggling too many things, answering too many emails, trying to solve problems, creating content, organising retreats, teaching Pilates, running businesses and wondering why I ever thought working for myself would mean having more free time!

But I wouldn't change it.

Because I am building something that I believe in.

I get to help people.

Sometimes that might mean helping someone find a retreat that they desperately need.

Sometimes it might mean helping someone feel stronger or more comfortable in their body through Pilates.

Sometimes it is simply having a conversation with someone who needs to be heard.

And I love that.

I love that my business continues to evolve.

I love that I don't necessarily know exactly where it will take me next.

There is something exciting about building a life where each year, and sometimes each month, brings a new direction.

It can be stressful.

It can be scary.

It can be exhausting.

But it is mine.

And I would much rather be tired from building something I believe in than spend my days feeling like a number in a corporate machine.

Your Vibe Really Does Attract Your Tribe

The same applies to the people around me.

I've always believed that your vibe attracts your tribe.

And the older I get, the more I believe it.

I don't need hundreds of friends.

I don't need to be surrounded by people all the time.

What I value now is having good people around me.

People who make me laugh.

People I can be completely myself around.

People who understand that sometimes I want to go out and be social and other times I want to stay home, put my pyjamas on and sit on the sofa.

And actually, I'm quite happy with both.

I've become much more comfortable with understanding who I am.

What I like.

What I don't like.

What I will accept.

What I won't accept.

Where my boundaries are.

And perhaps most importantly, what actually matters to me.

I Still Want Things

Being grateful for your life doesn't mean you can't want more.

I think this is something we sometimes get wrong with gratitude.

I'm incredibly grateful for my life, but that doesn't mean I don't have dreams.

There are things I wish I had.

There are things I still hope might happen.

There are experiences I would love to have.

There are things I've had to grieve.

And there are things I've had to accept may simply not be meant for me.

That's probably one of the hardest parts of getting older.

Realising that life doesn't always follow the plan you had in your head.

Sometimes you have to let go of the version of your life you thought you would have and learn to appreciate the one that actually exists.

And I'm still learning that.

I don't always get it right.

But gratitude helps.

My Kind of Luxury

For me, luxury has changed enormously.

In the summer, I love spending my weekends on beautiful beaches.

Swimming.

Sunbathing.

Snorkelling.

Eating something simple.

Doing absolutely nothing.

And in winter?

I love hiking.

Getting outside.

Exploring.

Walking through the countryside.

And then, equally, I love hibernating at home.

A blanket.

The sofa.

The dogs.

The kitten who is probably plotting something.

A good film.

And nowhere that I need to be.

I love that I don't need every weekend to be an adventure.

Sometimes the adventure is going somewhere new.

Sometimes the adventure is staying exactly where I am.

A Rich Life Isn't Necessarily a Full Life

I think there's an important difference between having a full life and having a rich life.

A full life can sometimes mean being constantly busy.

Every minute filled.

Every weekend booked.

Always somewhere to go, someone to see, something to achieve.

I've lived that way.

And honestly?

I'm not sure I want to anymore.

My idea of a rich life is different.

It's having time to notice things.

Having people I love around me.

Having animals that make me laugh.

Having a home that feels like home.

Having work that means something to me.

Having the freedom to spend a Saturday on the beach or on the sofa.

Having the ability to say no.

Having boundaries.

Having dreams.

Having things I'm still working towards.

And being able to look around at what I already have and think:

This is actually pretty amazing.

Maybe We Need to Redefine Success

We're constantly being shown what a successful life is supposed to look like.

The bigger house.

The better car.

The holidays.

The clothes.

The career.

The salary.

The achievements.

The next promotion.

The next milestone.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting those things.

But I think we need to be careful that we don't spend our entire lives chasing a version of success that doesn't actually make us happy.

Because what if success isn't about having more?

What if it's about needing less?

What if success is waking up and actually liking the life you've created?

What if it is having work that fulfils you?

A relationship that supports you.

Friendships that feel genuine.

A home where you feel safe.

A body that allows you to move.

Time to enjoy the people and places you love.

And the freedom to be yourself.

That sounds pretty rich to me.

Learning to Appreciate the Life I'm Living

I still have bad days.

I still worry.

I still compare myself to other people.

I still occasionally think, “Why don't I have that?”

I'm human.

But I'm trying to catch myself when I do.

Because when I step back and look at the bigger picture, I realise that I already have so many of the things I once wished for.

Not everything.

Definitely not.

Life isn't perfect, and I don't think it is supposed to be.

But it is mine.

And I love it.

Perhaps that's what a rich life really means to me.

Not having everything.

But recognising what you have.

Knowing what matters.

Letting go of some of the things that don't.

Making space for the people, places, animals, experiences and moments that bring you joy.

And being able to say:

I may not be financially rich, but I am incredibly rich in life.

And honestly?

I'll take that kind of wealth any day.

A Little Reminder from Evexia

You don't have to completely change your life to make it richer.

Sometimes it's about slowing down enough to notice the life you're already living.

Whether that's moving your body, walking outside, spending time with people you love, sitting quietly with a coffee, swimming in the sea or simply giving yourself permission to rest — the small things count.

Because life isn't meant to be accumulated.

It's meant to be lived.