12 Reasons Our Greatest Wealth in Life is Health
In our contemporary, fast-paced world, where the allure of wealth and material possessions often takes center stage, it’s simple to underestimate the importance of our health and overall well-being. We get stuck in a cycle of being “too busy” to keep a healthy routine. Add the stress of keeping up with the latest trends and always wanting more, and it’s a recipe for a poor quality of life.
There is deep wisdom encapsulated in the ancient Roman proverb that resonates: “The greatest wealth is health.” Understanding the true meaning of this proverb and embracing it can do wonders.
Let’s explore the 12 reasons why good health promises a life of happiness and prosperity. We also asked financial advisors, experts in accumulating wealth, to share how important health is to their clients striving for ultimate wealth. They have seen firsthand, through countless clients, the importance of finding the right balance for a truly rich life.
1. The Ability to Embrace Life’s Fullness
Optimal health enables us to engage wholeheartedly in the richness of life. With good health, we can actively partake in activities that bring us joy and satisfaction, including ventures that bring us monetary wealth.
Financial coach Christine Luken shares, “You might not have the energy to go for that promotion or start the business you’ve been dreaming about. Being healthy (or not) affects your enjoyment of ALL areas of your life: relationships, career, finances, hobbies, and family.“
2. Bonding With Loved Ones
When we prioritize our health, we fortify the foundation of our connections with loved ones. Optimal well-being grants us the precious gift of quality time and the energy to build enduring, meaningful relationships, enriching our lives with love, support, and cherished moments.
Money coach Myra Alport writes, “A healthy lifestyle pays dividends (pun intended) well beyond what financial wealth can provide. True, money can provide a smooth glide path to make life easier in many ways, but without good health, your physical and emotional freedom diminishes. You will have limited opportunity to partake in life’s joyful moments with your loved ones and others in your social universe.”
3. Thriving Finances
Flourishing health means solid finances. Optimal well-being opens the gateway to financial stability, empowering us to work, earn, and build a secure future. As we know, health crises can be financially devastating. Investing in our health now saves us for the future.
The ability to make money is often connected to the amount of energy we have. It directly correlates to productivity and the ability to say yes to opportunities when they arise.
4. Sound Health is the Key to Personal Growth
Good health fuels personal growth, giving us the energy and enthusiasm to embrace new experiences, learn, and pursue our dreams with gusto. Without our health, we can be limited in our ability to evolve and reach our full potential.
Being healthy allows us to make clear-headed decisions, learn from past mistakes, and take calculated risks without the burden of illness weighing on us. It also gives us the confidence and strength to step out of our comfort zone and pursue new opportunities.
5. Health Helps Us Handle Stress
Health is the ultimate wealth because it is the secret ingredient to our happiness and well-being. With a healthy mind and body, we gain the resilience to manage stress, overcome obstacles, and find contentment in life’s journey.
When we prioritize our health, we invest in our ability to handle life’s challenges gracefully and with strength. Without good health, everything else seems insignificant. Health impacts you physically, mentally, and emotionally. We all want to live a stress-free life, but it is almost impossible without good health.
6. Mental Well Being
A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Prioritizing physical health is essential in nurturing mental and emotional well-being, reducing depression and anxiety, and fostering a positive state of mind. Without good mental health, no amount of money or objects in the world will satisfy us.
Jorey Bernstein shares, “Mental health is vital to our overall well-being. By prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness, and seeking support when needed, we can cultivate a positive mindset, reduce stress levels, and improve our ability to handle financial challenges. This leads to better financial decision-making and overall happiness.”
7. Sound Health, Smart Choices
Good health gives us the mental clarity and physical vitality needed to make informed and wise decisions regarding our life’s path, careers, and relationships. When we make good choices, our life can flourish in both tangible (money, house, etc.) and intangible ways (happiness, contentment, etc.).
When we feel physically well, we are better equipped to make thoughtful financial choices, which can lead us toward long-term stability, fulfillment, and success.
8. Health Empowers Independence
Achieving optimal health guarantees the ability to move freely and care for ourselves, preserving independence as we grow older and offering a life of liberty and self-sufficiency. Focusing exclusively on accumulating wealth at the expense of our health will make it impossible to enjoy that wealth in retirement years.
Financial advisor Stephen Shipe shares, “Many of our clients have grand plans for retirement: travel, hiking, volunteering, visiting with family. However, if these clients ignore their health, they quickly find that the golden years of retirement are instead spent traveling from doctor to doctor or that they do not have the physical ability to do all the fun things they have saved all of their lives to do.”
9. A Gift for Future Generations
Taking care of our well-being becomes a precious gift for generations to come.
Setting an upbeat example for our kids fosters healthy habits that will lead to lifelong success and happiness. Teaching our kids that health is wealth is a great gift to give. It’ll help them avoid the hamster wheel of consumerism and the damaging effects of constant hustle.
10. Health Provides Purpose
Good health empowers us to set goals, work, contribute to society, and find purpose and fulfillment in positively impacting the world.
Author and financial advisor Robert Pagliarini shares, “Think about the last time you had a sore throat. [What was] all you could think about? Feeling better again. All of your goals, plans, and thoughts took a backseat to feeling good.”
11. Enhanced Productivity
Good health boosts productivity by giving us the physical and mental capacity to work efficiently and effectively. When we are healthy, we can accomplish more in less time, leading to financial gain and overall success.
Jorey Bernstein also shares, “Good health directly correlates with increased productivity. When we prioritize our physical and mental well-being, we experience higher energy levels, improved focus, and greater efficiency in our work. This translates into enhanced performance and potential career growth.”
Financial advisor Jen Swindler adds, “I often talk with clients about how higher spending in health-related categories is very justified and worth it in both the short- and long-term. As someone who has personally found a very clear link between my physical and mental health, I know that I’m more productive at work, more likely to make good decisions (including financially), and overall happier in life when I’m living more health consciously.”
12. Fewer Healthcare Costs
Prevention is always more cost-efficient than managing chronic disease (for both money and quality of life).
Finally, Berstein writes, “Investing in preventive measures, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management, can help prevent chronic diseases and reduce healthcare costs in the long run. Maintaining good health can minimize medical expenses, contribute to long-term financial stability, and protect our wealth.”
Associate financial advisor Caleb Vering summarizes it with one great sentence, “Wealth isn’t freedom if health doesn’t accompany it.”
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