--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was an orphan, I was the richest…" description: "\"When I was an orphan, I was the richest kid at the orphanage because everyone else was complaining about not having anything. But when I discovered tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/wayne-dyer-158_complaining_when-i-was-an-orphan-i-was-the-richest-k_506346.jpg" --- # When I was an orphan, I was the richest kid at the… ![“When I was an orphan, I was the richest kid at the orphanage because everyone else was complaining about not having anything. But when I discovered that you could get two cents for a Coca-Cola bottle, I would follow people around who were drinking it and ask them if they were almost through with it.” quote by Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/wayne-dyer-158_complaining_when-i-was-an-orphan-i-was-the-richest-k_506346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/wayne-dyer-158_complaining_when-i-was-an-orphan-i-was-the-richest-k_506346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/wayne-dyer-158_complaining_when-i-was-an-orphan-i-was-the-richest-k_506346.jpg) > “When I was an orphan, I was the richest kid at the orphanage because everyone else was complaining about not having anything. But when I discovered that you could get two cents for a Coca-Cola bottle, I would follow people around who were drinking it and ask them if they were almost through with it.” [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s perspective shows that wealth is relative; gratitude for small opportunities can outweigh lack. **In simple terms:** Wealth is relative; small gains matter. Key Takeaway Value what you have and seek modest opportunities. Themes gratitude perspective resourcefulness Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - childhood poverty - entrepreneurial hustle - recycling initiatives Key Concepts relative wealth mindset opportunity seeking Questions to Reflect On - How does perspective change your sense of wealth? - What small opportunities can you leverage today? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Orphan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orphan/) [Orphanage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orphanage/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Two cents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-cents/) ## Related quotes > [I did have a lot of lack, but I never experienced it. I grew up in the east side of Detroit, in an area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-did-have-a-lot-of-lack-but-i-never-experienced-it-i-grew-up-in-the/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Growing up we never had the best house on the block, the best car, or the most money, but one thing I had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/growing-up-we-never-had-the-best-house-on-the-block-the-best-car-or/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Before I began The Cider House Rules, I thought I wanted to write about a father-son relationship that was closer, more conflicted, and ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/before-i-began-the-cider-house-rules-i-thought-i-wanted-to-write/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [When I was little I knew my father had been an orphan and had lived in an orphanage. I was curious, but my father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carson-levine/when-i-was-little-i-knew-my-father-had-been-an-orphan-and-had-lived/) [Gail Carson Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carson-levine/) > [“I thought back to Meg’s advice about Hemingway sentences—simple declarative statements that showed the truth and distilled the meaning. My first attempt at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anderson-kurk/i-thought-back-to-meg-s-advice-about-hemingway-sentences-simple/) [Laura Anderson Kurk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anderson-kurk/) > [Shepard’s Field is a good place for orphans. My class had a fundraiser for them and when we had a field trip to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-chen/shepard-s-field-is-a-good-place-for-orphans-my-class-had-a-fundraiser/) Lynn Chen > [I did a lot of reading of first person accounts from Koreans and combatants and aid workers. And I spoke to relatives. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-did-a-lot-of-reading-of-first-person-accounts-from-koreans-and/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [“I really want to believe that when our Quiet Waters kids wake up in the middle of the night, scared, they’ll remember being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anderson-kurk/i-really-want-to-believe-that-when-our-quiet-waters-kids-wake-up-in/) [Laura Anderson Kurk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anderson-kurk/) > [When you're an orphan, you don't wake up every day and tell yourself, "I'm an orphan again today. Why did this happen to me?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/when-you-re-an-orphan-you-don-t-wake-up-every-day-and-tell-yourself-i/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I grew up in the east side of Detroit in an area where there was very little, except for a lot of scarcity, poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-grew-up-in-the-east-side-of-detroit-in-an-area-where-there-was-very/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/i-wouldn-t-give-you-two-cents-for-all-your-fancy-rules-if-behind-them/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [“She could envision Shakespeare's sister. But she imagined a violent, an apocalyptic end for Shakespeare's sister, whereas I know that isn't what happened. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/she-could-envision-shakespeare-s-sister-but-she-imagined-a-violent-an/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Just my two cents: Even as a Christian, I love boxing because it's the ultimate stand-alone test of a competitor's skill and will. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/just-my-two-cents-even-as-a-christian-i-love-boxing-because-it-s-the/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) > [“So I heard the boom of my father's rifle when he shot my best friend. A bullet only costs about two cents, and anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/so-i-heard-the-boom-of-my-father-s-rifle-when-he-shot-my-best-friend/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Any rich, unprogressive old party with that particularly grasping, acquisitive form of mentality known as financial genius can own a paper that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/any-rich-unprogressive-old-party-with-that-particularly-grasping/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More by Wayne Dyer > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. Be thankful for the storms as well as the smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/be-in-a-state-of-gratitude-for-everything-that-shows-up-in-your-life/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Trusting yourself is trusting the wisdom that created you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/trusting-yourself-is-trusting-the-wisdom-that-created-you/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. 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How do you explode a weapon with so much radiation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/we-make-weapons-now-that-if-we-ever-used-them-would-kill-ourselves/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [What you feel is wrong or missing in your relationships is an indication that something is amiss within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/what-you-feel-is-wrong-or-missing-in-your-relationships-is-an/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it's your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-truth-is-that-there-is-no-actual-stress-or-anxiety-in-the-world/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [It is impossible to need excuses when the focus of your life shifts from 'What's in it for me?' to 'How can I serve?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-is-impossible-to-need-excuses-when-the-focus-of-your-life-shifts/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [The problem with using force in our lives is that we always create a counterforce. For example, If you're with a child and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-problem-with-using-force-in-our-lives-is-that-we-always-create-a/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) [Explore all 1,079 Wayne Dyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) ## More Complaining quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [But if people will laugh at my work and keep a sound roof over my head, who am I to complain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-burke/but-if-people-will-laugh-at-my-work-and-keep-a-sound-roof-over-my/) [Billie Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-burke/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You shouldn't get to live in society and give nothing back. People complain about their taxes, yet they do nothing for the community. 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