No one can argue that health is the greatest wealth that one can possess, it trumps any physical possessions and any list of material belongings. Understandably the people who recognise this the most are those who have lost it.
As the saying goes, everyone has goals and dreams while the sick person only has one - to return to health.
But why is it that so many of us proclaim "health is wealth" and claim to believe in the value of it but don’t practice what we preach? In most cases we are walking, talking contradictions.
We all know by now (hopefully) that food, exercise and positive thoughts are foundational ingredients for our health just like air, water and light are essential for a plant, but why in the practical dynamics of life do we struggle to have the time, energy and/or money to ensure their supply.
The truth is we are fooling no one but ourselves. We are simply living a lie. I see it all the time in the clinic. People who claim to value health often say "I just don’t have time", "I can't afford it" or "I will try my best, but I can't promise".
In reality, we all have 24hrs in a day. No one can claim that they don't have time, so take that one out of your vocabulary. The harsh reality is that unless you are on the brink of becoming homeless, you can afford pretty much anything, but you can't afford everything.
Both of these matters fall into the question of priorities. If you have ever heard yourself repeating any of the above rhetoric, you need to be true to yourself and reframe your statements by saying: My health is not a priority for me at the moment.
Even though you may struggle to say these words, it's by far a lot fairer to yourself and any trainer, coach, partner or health practitioner that you are working with to just be straightforward and speak the truth. At least you will recognise and acknowledge the sacrifice you are making when you put work, family or achieving your goals first instead of fooling yourself into believing that you are a victim of your circumstances. In reality, you are a victim of your own choices, which is actually a much more empowering place to be.
When it comes to finances it's important to recognise that money is simply an expression of value. If you value something more than or equal to the amount of money you're paying for it, you will be willing to exchange it. If you don’t hold value to the item of trade equal to or more than the value of the cash that you are due to pay, it will be very unlikely that you will allow yourself to part with it. Why would you pay for something that is worth-less… Right?
Now that you see things from this perspective, you should recognise that where you spend your money is a reflection of the values you truly hold, not the ones you proclaim to hold.
To discover the reality of your value systems you must look to your bank statements. What is the highest expense you consistently exchange value for every month? Is it Entertainment such as Eating out, Netflix subscriptions and holiday payments? Or Is it health, wellness, good nutrition, recovery and maintenance care, gym subscriptions or personal trainers?
I'm sure you get the idea. When you start to tally these things up, you will see your bank statements as the only true reflection of your values as an individual and as a family. If these aren’t measuring up in the way that you assumed they would it's time for things to change either in your theoretical understandings of what your true value structures are or in the practical application of how you exchange it. It's your call.
Comments