On our trek today, we discover why no one ever feels rich or happy.

One day I’d like to meet someone who is actually rich. Sometimes I think I’ve found one, but it always turns out I’m wrong. No matter how rich I assumed the person to be, within a few minutes I find out just how “poor” that person really is.

Take the guy who sold his company for more than $40 million. (Well, actually $100 million in total; $40 million is his share.) I was sure he was rich. Then he told me how for tax and estate planning purposes he had structured the disbursement of funds over 10 years. So sure, on paper, he may be “worth” $40 million, but he only gets around $4 million each year. And despite all that nifty financial planning, the taxes are still so high he doesn’t see nearly that much. It’s a bummer.

Another example is the guy who just splashed a cool $450 grand on a Lexus LFA with the Nürburgring package. His everyday car is a Porsche 911 Turbo S. I was sure he was rich. Then he told me what he wants most in life is a Bugatti Veyron only they cost about $2 million. Sure, he has money he said, but he doesn’t have that kind of money. He thinks about it all the time. It’s a bummer.

Then there is the guy with the 110-foot yacht. Strictly speaking, it’s a ship, not a boat since it’s big enough to carry several small boats and a couple of jet skis on a platform at the stern. And, it has a pool. I was sure he was rich. Then he told me how expensive the yacht is just to own: fixed costs like cleaning, upkeep, dock fees, and crew run over six figures a year. And what about the expense of actually taking it for a cruise? He told me firing it up is so expensive he sometimes has to think twice about whether to take it out of the harbor. It’s a bummer.

How about the story of the guy who – I know it’s a cliché, but it’s still true – started a company in his garage, financing it with credit cards and a loan from his father-in-law. A couple of decades later his company owns its building (and a few more), employs 500 people, and generates tens of millions in annual revenue. He put his three kids through Ivy League schools and then gave them significant seed money to start their own businesses. I was sure he was rich. Then he explained how he still has to work 60- to 70-hour weeks and can maybe take one week of vacation a year. Sure, he would like to have more free time, but running a company that size requires constant and total attention. Why it could all go away in an instant, he said. And then what would happen to his family? The very thought makes him shudder. It’s a bummer.

So I decided to set my sights on a different target. By definition there can’t be that many rich people; maybe statistical probability was the problem? So I decided to look for someone who is happy. After all, not everyone can be rich, but anyone can be happy.

I thought I found one when I met an entrepreneur who had just landed her first big customer. And, it was not just a big customer, a truly enabling customer – one who made it possible for her to hire much-needed employees, make long-delayed equipment purchases, and finally get creditors off her back. I figured that surely made her feel happy.

Then she told me how much she hates to recruit and interview…and actually having to supervise those employees on a daily basis? Ugh. She told me how adding equipment, maintaining a larger inventory, and managing the huge increase in production was such a pain. “Don’t get me wrong,” she told me as she looked around to make sure no one overheard, “but I often long for the good old days when life was a lot simpler.” It’s kind of a bummer.

Another example is the guy who, after years of putting out feelers and constant hints, was finally invited to serve on the board of a startup. The company has potential, he said, but it’s not Twitter or Facebook or even Google. Now serving on one of those boards would be cool. This? He thought it would be fun, but it’s kind of a bummer.

Then there is the gal who just bought a bigger house? Bummed because it takes so much work to clean. The guy who just doubled his income? Bummed because now his taxes are higher. The gal who just landed her dream job? Bummed because now her daily commute is half an hour longer.

Seems no one I meet, no matter how much money or success they’ve achieved, is actually rich, not really. And although I’m stretching the premise to make a point, it seems no one I meet, no matter how fulfilling and gratifying their life might be, is actually happy, not really.

But that’s okay. I’ll keep looking. Someday I might find someone. And hopefully, that someone is you.

The moral of this story is anytime we place our financial confidence and personal happiness on earthly resources, we will never have enough and never be happy. If you are not content and happy where you are today with what you currently have, you will never be content or happy with more.

The 1st letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to understudy Timothy gave us the solution if you don’t consider yourself wealthy. It is found in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”

If God has allowed you to obtain wealth in this world, the key to a life that is happy and full of joy is in 1 Timothy 6:17-18, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

Let me ask you another question. When will you be content with what you have? What will make you happy? In our next Wisdom Note, we will explore another short story. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along each day for our day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy podcast.