The great newspaper publisher of the early part of this century, William Randolph Hearst, was a patron of art and spent a great deal of money collecting art treasures for his collection. The story is told that one day he found a description of an artwork that he felt he must own, so he sent his agent abroad to find it. After months of searching, the agent reported that he had found the treasured object and that it was close to home. Where was it? In Hearst’s warehouse, with many other treasures he owned that were still in their crates. The great Hearst had been searching for a treasure he already owned!

Such is the power of wealth that it blinds us to the treasures we already have and focuses us on obtaining more, without appreciating what we have.