Statistically, almost all Americans are wealthy, compared to the rest of the world. One-half of the world's people live on less than two dollars a day. Within the United States itself, if you have a household income of $127,000 or your net worth is $897,000 or more, you're among the wealthiest five percent of the population. And if you have approximately $350,000 in household income or $3,802,950 net worth, you're in the wealthiest one percent.

Although you may not feel particularly rich or identify yourself as wealthy, those statistics can help clarify the relative wealth that you may actually have-and that can help you contemplate what your money means to you, what you want to use it for, and what value there may be to being more public or private about your wealth. Those surprising statistics can also assist in the first step of "coming out" as wealthy-which is to come out to yourself. Go on, 'fess up: Are you richer than you think you are?

Of course, it's not quite that simple. Rich is always relative. You might be rich statistically, yet feel strapped with debt or other financial burdens. You might be wealthier than your neighbor, but far less wealthy than your uncle. Or you may have a million dollars, but it doesn't feel like enough for your kids' college tuition, the home you want, and your retirement, too. Or you may know, intellectually, that you're rich, but you may not feel it emotionally. How do you know you're rich?

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