Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers

“Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving.” — so taught W. Clement Stone, the man who rose from poverty to prosperity through faith, determination, and service. In these words he unveils a truth that transcends the glitter of wealth: that the treasures of the soul are not made of gold or silver, but of character, will, love, and faith. The material world is fragile — its riches can vanish overnight — but the invisible powers within us are eternal. They cannot be stolen, bought, or lost; they can only be shared, and through that sharing they grow.

Stone, a businessman and philanthropist of the twentieth century, was a disciple of the philosophy of positive mental attitude, a creed that wove optimism with spiritual law. He believed that every person carries within them an unseen empire — a kingdom of thoughts, virtues, and creative force — greater than any fortune made by hands. When he said that our greatest possessions are intangible, he pointed to the truth that what truly governs our lives is not circumstance, but the spirit with which we meet it. The wise man invests not in things that rust or fade, but in the invisible wealth of courage, compassion, and vision.

The ancients knew this well. Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, ruled the most powerful empire on earth, yet he wrote in his Meditations that the soul’s strength is the only possession that cannot be taken by fate. Thrones crumble, cities burn, but virtue — the light within — endures. Stone’s words are the modern echo of that ancient wisdom. He reminds us that the invisible powers — our faith, our integrity, our will to act rightly — are the pillars upon which every lasting achievement stands. To lose sight of them is to become poor in the midst of riches; to nurture them is to find abundance even in adversity.

And what of his final promise — “You will receive abundance for your giving”? Here Stone speaks of the sacred law of reciprocity, the divine economy of the spirit. The heart that gives of its invisible wealth — that shares kindness, courage, encouragement, and truth — opens itself to a greater flow of life. The miser of the soul, who hoards his goodness and withholds his love, finds his inner store growing cold. But the giver, who offers without fear, multiplies his own strength. Like the sun that loses nothing by shining, the soul that gives only grows brighter.

Consider the life of Mother Teresa, who owned nothing yet possessed all. Her strength, her love, her unwavering compassion — these were invisible powers, untouchable by poverty or persecution. She gave her time, her heart, her prayers to the dying and the forgotten, and in return, the world gave her reverence and gratitude. Her abundance was not measured in coins, but in the radiance of a life that enriched millions. In her example, Stone’s truth finds living form: that to give from the invisible self is to draw from an inexhaustible source.

Stone’s message, like a quiet flame, burns against the darkness of materialism. It calls each of us to remember that the true wealth of life lies not in what we possess, but in what we embody. We are born with the power to love, to hope, to persevere, to inspire — and these cannot be taken by misfortune or time. The tragedy of many lives is not that they lose their riches, but that they forget their inner riches. Those who rediscover them become unbreakable, for they walk in the strength of something unseen but indestructible.

Lesson: Cultivate your invisible wealth. Guard not your possessions, but your spirit — your honesty, your generosity, your courage. When life tempts you to despair, remember that your greatest powers lie beyond the reach of circumstance. Give of your strength freely: a kind word, an encouraging act, a spark of hope. These are the coins of the soul, and their giving brings an unending return. No one can take from you what is truly yours — your inner light, your faith, your power to love.

So let Stone’s words be a covenant to live by: that we are not made rich by what we own, but by what we give. For the invisible treasures — the strength to endure, the love to uplift, the courage to begin again — are the eternal inheritance of humankind. And those who give from that hidden store shall find, as he promised, abundance without measure.