Your Health, Your Wealth

Yes, that's a picture of me kayak fishing in the bay here in Texas.?For those that know me well (or even a little), you know I love the outdoors and especially the sport of fishing.?My latest version of it is kayak fishing along the Texas coast.?It's fun and it's a great form of exercise.?Most of the time, I peddle and paddle about ten miles per day when I'm out there.?It's a workout!?And that's what I want to talk about in this month's message.?Physical health.?

There are few things more important or valuable than your physical health.?What does this have to do with finances??Everything.?A person who is unhealthy physically pays for it in so many ways.?Physical health affects a person's mental, emotional, and financial state. The loss of health leads to dependence.?People that are unhealthy forego many of "the good things in life".?They simply can't do them or are often very limited.?

Decline of health leads to increased costs.?People who smoke and drink pay more for insurance (auto, life, homeowners, disability, long-term care, etc).?People who are overweight pay more for insurances.?People who are diabetic get rated or are sometimes even uninsurable.?People who can't take care of themselves usually have to pay someone else to do things for them.?The average costs of home health care are over $7,000 per month per person.?People who smoke have a harder time selling their cars and their homes.?We could go on and on.??

The degradation of our physical bodies is an inevitability.?The Bible says "for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19).?Although the decline of our physical health is certain, we can extend the enjoyment of our lives and reduce our long-term financial costs by choosing a healthy lifestyle.??

Most of the people who experience serious health conditions at a point in their life would trade all of their wealth to regain their health.?They often do give all they have in an unsuccessful attempt to do so.

Good health can be a major boon to a person's wealth.?For some, health issues come regardless of what a person does or doesn't.?But, for most of us, we have a choice to make.?And just as is true for the achievement of financial freedom, it takes work.?There's that four-letter word again!?There's that principle again!

If you want to be wealthier, choose today to be healthier.?The principles of work, accountability, and responsibility (or stewardship) apply here.?The principle of investing in yourself applies here.??

Here are some things you can do to invest in your health:

1- Choose a time to exercise every day.?Choose a time that is least likely to be interrupted.?Invite a friend or your spouse to join with you.?I believe 100% that exercising alone is less likely to persist than exercising with others (you start to count on each other being there - accountability).?The amount of time is less important than the consistency.?The amount of time will naturally increase with consistency.?If you don't already have the habit of daily exercise, start small (10 minutes per day - Who can't do that?!?!).?Hire a trainer if you need someone to help push you and get the ball rolling.?Trainers are expensive, but they are less expensive than bad health.?There's no cost-free option here.?Sign up for a gym membership AND GO.?Signing up is the easy part.?Again, it helps if you have other people counting on your going (friends or family).??

Most people's health issues stem from living a sedentary lifestyle (my work is an example of this - I spend all day at a computer).?With increased technology, we have become a less and less physically active creature.?We don't have to physically wash our clothes or our dishes anymore.?We put them in a machine and push a button.?We don't have to grow or hunt our food.?We drive to a grocery store, pull into a parking space, and have our pre-ordered stuff brought out to our vehicle and put in the trunk.?Delivery of groceries is eliminating even the need to drive to the store.?Most Americans don't cook very often.?We eat out.?That's why there are a million hamburger and chicken places.?Technology advances have made us soft.??This brings me to my next point.

2- If you're like me, what, when, and how much I eat is much more impactful on my overall health than my level of exercise (not that we shouldn't be focused on both).?Choose to make your own meals at home.?That alone would probably save most of the people reading this article thousands of dollars per year and would have a massive impact on your health.?Eat fresh produce (vegetables and fruit).?Yeah, it goes bad quickly if you don't eat it.?So eat it!?

Making food at home requires time and effort.?Both are required ingredients to success in any area of life.?Making food at home requires planning.?Another issue for most people.?That's why fast food is so popular.?Making food at home requires preparation and cleanup.?Another reason fast food is so popular.?Remember, convenience always has a cost, and time and effort are always required for long-term success.

Replace watching tv and snacking at night with reading a book in your bed (most people don't like crumbs and stuff in their sheets at night).?TV is often coupled with habitual eating.?People aren't even hungry usually when they are watching tv.?Snacking while watching tv is almost purely out of habit.?There's a good book about this called?Mindless Eating.?

When you want to get rid of a bad habit, you can't just stop it.?You have to replace it.?The void will be filled, either automatically by something else (usually something that isn't any better) or you can intentionally replace it with something more beneficial.?Intentionality is another principle.?Be intentional.?Choose the result you want.

This isn't meant to be a complete list.?I'm sure there are tons of other things you can do to be more healthy.?Invest in your health!?Invest in you!?You will not regret it if you do.?At the same time, you will likely regret it if you don't.??

In finances, we oftentimes don't see immediate results.?The results of being smart or dumb with money and following good or bad habits are usually just noticed over time.?The same is true with your health.?So, keep that in mind.?Enjoy the journey of good habits.?Don't wait to celebrate your successes along the way.?Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results.?Almost everything that produces immediate results is fools gold.?Don't get fooled.?If you fall, get back up.?Yoda was lying.?He said "There is no try."?The truth is that there is only try.?So keep trying.?Never quit trying.?Echoing former NCAA basketball coach, Jim Valvano, "Don't give up.?Don't ever give up."?Be smart.?Be healthy.?And if you do those things, and you never give up, you will also be wealthy.??

If you haven't already , read?Atomic Habits?by James Clear!

Read this article talking about the challenges most Americans face regarding healthcare costs:

https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/?