Description: Gold has always symbolized material riches. It is a simple element that somehow exceeds its intrinsic value. Its pursuit has become, for many, the primary goal of life. What is it that attracts us so about money and the material things it can buy? Is our fear assuaged by the perceived safety from a rainy day or do we believe that enough things will somehow fill the emptiness inside? I would hazard to guess that no amount of money has ever made anyone happy, ever. True happiness comes from finding our center, that place deep within each of us that cries out to be filled, a place that has been empty and found wanting since the beginning of time. No? Then ask yourself why a world founded on materiality is so screwed up and why the coveting of wealth so often lays waste to lives, compassion, and families in the pursuit of such things? The happiest people I know are those who treasure love, peace, and freedom over the chains imposed by the ownership of material things. These truly fortunate few are filled and made happy by the knowledge of a divine presence within, a presence that offers riches that satisfy the soul. They know that everything here is nothing in eternity. They, my friends, are the truly happy ones. So let us abandon our search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the quest for the fountain of youth, or enlightenment in a capsule. Let us put aside these shallow offerings and pursue instead the divine life: the life that makes pale and lifeless the pursuit of simple gold. Join me here as we un-wrap celestial gifts, not of gold coins, but of joy and freedom. About the Contributor(s): J. Michaels is a lifelong student of the human mind and spirit. He has authored books in non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. His poetry expresses the spiritual in a unique storytelling style and is evident in all of his collections, including The Poet's Quill, Common Ground, Emerald Mandala, Mystic Twine, and the novella Treasure of the Mind. He lives in full view of the magnificent Rocky Mountains in Colorado with his wife and granddaughter. He is the founder of The Greybeard Society, a fellowship that promotes the sharing of wisdom in all forms. Mr. Michaels may be contacted on his facebook page or at J@greybeardsociety.org or visit the GBS website at www.greybeardsociety.org.