Life: Health & Wealth

As I pondered the various possibilities for the Subject of this Blog Posting I planned on writing today I received a timely phone call from my Sister.  After my meaningful conversation with her the Subject and Theme that I wanted to write about today became very clear: "Health & Wealth."

Wealth is perceived and defined in a multitude of ways.  The definition is often dependent on each individuals uniqueness and own personal life experience, background, values, character, goals, and priorities.

Wikipedia defines "Wealth" as follows:

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem.^[1] An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources is known as wealthy.
The concept of wealth is of significance in all areas of economics, especially development economics, yet the meaning of wealth is context-dependent and there is no universally agreed upon definition. Generally, economists define wealth as "anything of value" which captures both the subjective nature of the idea and the idea that it is not a fixed or static concept. Various definitions and concepts of wealth have been asserted by various individuals and in different contexts.^[2] Defining wealth can be a normative process with various ethical implications, since often wealth maximization is seen as a goal or is thought to be a normative principle of its own.^[3]

Wikipedia defines "Health" as follows:

Health is the level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person in mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to being free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”).^[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."^[2][3] Although this definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as having a lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete", it remains the most enduring.

Many people spend their entire lives obsessed with and pursuing greater Wealth.  But at what point do we become Wealthy?  I am all for striving to make a good living beyond the basic necessities of daily living and working hard to be able to enjoy the betters things in life. 

But I wonder if sometimes people are not much more "Wealthy" than they appreciate and realize.  Life is not just about the accumulation of money, houses, and boats, etc.  These things are nice, very nice in fact, but, if you were sitting in a Hospital Room with a serious life-threatening disease you would suddenly have gained much greater perspective.  Money, a new house, a new boat, etc., would suddenly have moved down the "Ladder of Priorities" in your Life.   You would be thinking the following simple and clear thought: you would be praying that a miracle would be granted; and that you could go back in time to a point where you were in general, relative, Good Health. 

Consider this question:

• Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy? 

Today my Sister informed me during our telephone conversation that a Cousin of ours has just been just diagnosed with Melanoma; my Sister asked that we say a Prayer for her and keep her in our thoughts.  My Sister is a Nurse.  We do not know all of the details at this time other than the fact it sounds quite serious.  My Sister conveys that this is a serious disease that gives cause for concern and worry. 

My immediate thought upon hanging up: Life is So Short.  We Take Our Health For Granted.  Thank God For My Relative Good Health!  Kind of a selfish thought.

We will as requested Pray for our Cousin and keep her in our thoughts. 

Shortly after the conclusion of the conversation with my Sister I began thinking about and pondering the reality of our daily existence:

• Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, receive a phone call informing us that one of our Family Members or close Friends has suffered great tragedy or been stricken ill.  Or even died.
• Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, suffer great tragedy or become suddenly ill.  Seriously ill.  Or even die.

What if you received "the phone call" today about a Family Member or Friend or from a Doctor about your Health that would immediately change your Life forever?

The Prospect and Potential of this phone call for all of us always exists and will never go away.

I ask you and I the following logical questions to ponder in light of the undeniable fact that our continued healthy existence is by no means a guarantee and that life is so short:

Why do we take so much for granted?
Why do we not fully appreciate our relative good health to a much greater extent than we do?
Why do we not sacrifice more of our Time, Energy, and Money to help others - and there are many! - who have already been stricken ill and and really, really suffering and struggling on a daily basis due to poor health?
Why do we all, myself included, so often choose to make the wrong things priorities and focus on or complain about trivial, inconsequential, and in retrospect meaningless, matters on a daily basis?
Why do we sometimes go about our lives in a robotic manner?

Why do we not spend more quality time with our Family and loved ones?


Why do we not exercise more and follow healthier diets that are proven will increase our level of health and reduce the likelihood of suffering poor health and being stricken by disease?

I have known friends who have died young.  I have a friend with two very young children who is courageously battling ALS Disease (and embracing the opportunity to inspire others!)  Today I just learned I have a Cousin who is battling Melanoma. 

If you've been blessed with relative good health and have not thought about and truly appreciated this fact in a long time, I remind you not to take such things for granted.

If you are amongst the many battling a serious health issue: my thoughts and prayers are with you to give you strength and courage to battle on and to fight.

Consider again this question:

• Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy?  

I argue in many ways yes.

Considering the Wikipedia definition noted above would we consider Good Health to be a "Valuable Resource?"  You bet.  Without sufficient energy levels and a general feeling of good health it would be difficult for us to be able to live the life we desire and achieve the goals we set for ourselves. 

Good Health is truly and undoubtedly a Blessing that not everyone is fortunate enough to have. Let's not take relative Good Health for granted and be truly grateful every single day; at the same time let us not turn a blind and selfish eye to those who are suffering and in need.

It could be any one of us any day.  Carry that thought with you.  Every Day.

I Wish You Good Health And The Perspective And Ability To Appreciate It When You Have It!

10 Tips To Help Achieve Your Worthy Goal

Achieving a Worthy Goal is not easy.  We need to consistently set and achieve specific goals if we want to achieve great success and be the very best we can be.  Following are some Tips and Suggestions to help us Successfully Achieve our Goals:

1. Write your Goal down on paper.  Be specific.  Set and write down a Target Date.  Included with this should be the personal reasons why you are setting this Goal, the challenges and obstacles you have identified that you will need to overcome if you are to achieve your Goal, and, in precise detail, all of the Benefits and Advantages to be had when you successfully achieve the Goal.
2. Do not loose #1.  Refer to it often for a refresher and reminder as to why you are expending the great energy that you are (or should be!) on a daily basis to move you toward the successful achievement of the Goal.
3. Adopt and Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude.  This takes work.  Self-doubt, negative thoughts, pessimism; these trouble-makers will undoubtedly hurt you and your Goal-Achieving efforts.
4. Expect the unexpected and expect to overcome the unexpected without ever being thrown off course.  Life is unpredictable.  Sometimes things happen at the worst possible times.  One curve-ball or one set-back will not the not-truly-committed off-course.
5. Be Steadfast.  I've always loved that word!  Maintain a clear focus and keep your eye on the Goal and the Benefits to be had that you memorialized in Step 1 and keep mentally strong; nothing can keep you from achieving your Goal unless you let it happen.  Again: Be Steadfast.
6. Earn and benefit from the support of those around you.  If sacrifice is required that impacts the lives of your Family or your Closest Friends, then you need to educate them and enlist their support.  You will need their support and their motivation when life gets tough, you feel overwhelmed, and achievement of your Goal lay in jeopardy.  Help Family and Friends understand the sacrifices you are making and the commitment you are making by openly sharing with them why you're doing what you're doing and what you are going to gain by achieving your Goal.  Nothing is more important than our Family and our Friends.  We need them and their support.
7. Keep Healthy.  We need Great Energy to be able to pursue our Goals Relentlessly.  Great Energy is a direct result of Living a Healthy Lifestyle: eat well; exercise daily; minimize stress; embrace healthy habits.  The more difficult and challenging a Goal is the more Energy we need.  Continuously educate yourself on how to be as healthy as possible and live according to that knowledge.
8. Make the Process Fun.  Life is Short.  Enjoy and Respect the difficult journey often necessary to achieve a Worthy Goal. 
9. Let each successive successful step that brings you closer to achieving your Goal inspire you and provide you with some positive motivation to help continue to carry you forward, remain committed, stay focused, and ultimately Reach That Goal!
10. Don't give up.  Never give up.  Nothing truly great has never been achieve without great sacrifice, commitment, dedication, and resilience. 

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." Fitzhugh Dodson
Good Luck! Go grab a pen a paper and get a jump-start on your next Goal?  What will it be?