Blog # 152
This blog is a new iteration of a previous posting from 2013, but modified significantly and certainly worthy of reiteration!
It is advisable not to take investment advice from a physician, but nonetheless I have some hot tips for the purpose of making you richer.
Q: What is the most important asset in your life? Who owns that asset? Specifically, what durable capital asset is the most valuable investment you can make?
A: The most valuable investment is your health, because without that, you’ve got nothing at all. Your health is your wealth, and we can refer to it as health-wealth.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”… Herophilus
“Health is our most valuable possession.” …Hippocrates
“Life without health is not worth living.” …Plato
“Protecting and developing health must rank even above that of restoring it when it is compromised. … Huang-Di (the emperor who laid the foundation for traditional Chinese medicine 4500 years ago)
Many of us make an effort to save for retirement, earmarking funds for IRAs, 401K plans and other retirement vehicles in preparation for when we will no longer be working and will need to tap our savings to live…and hopefully, we will be living for many years after retirement, perhaps reaching the human potential of 100 years or so. First we need the health and wellness to have the quality of life to enjoy our golden years and second we need the financial wherewithal to thrive economically for the (hopefully) many years of retirement. Ralph Waldo Emerson summarized it in five words: “The first wealth is health.”
Sweat equity is the contribution of time and effort that is fundamental to the success of a business. Projecting its use to the health arena, I propose that we have Sweat Equity Accounts—aka, Fitness Accounts. The principles of obtaining and maintaining a fitness account parallel those of a retirement account:
- Have a plan. Understand the need for and the importance of your account. If you invest wisely, it will create great health wealth.
- Pay yourself first. Commit to it automatically, guaranteeing that it is a priority not to be tampered with. This will ensure regular deposits to build your fitness nest egg.
- Slow and steady approach. A moderate amount of investment capital (exercise), deposited to the account on a diligent and regular basis, will ultimately allow for complete funding.
- Long-term perspective. The greater the investment in terms of time invested, the larger the nest egg builds. The commitment to this plan needs to be a lifetime endeavor. No gimmicky investments, shortcuts, tricks or instant rewards! No nonsense!
- Seek counseling. Not everyone is capable of managing his or her own portfolio, so seek the services of a professional advisor (personal trainer or fitness instructor). Their services will be well worth their cost.
- Diversify. Deposit into your account a broad range of investments (aerobic and endurance activities, weight training, core, flexibility exercises, etc.).
- Eliminate debt. Pay down and eliminate debt (excessive body weight and the burden of bad lifestyle choices) and reap the benefits of becoming debt free.
- Start early. The earlier you begin accruing savings, the more time available to work the magic of compounding, when the investment returns themselves earn further returns. You will earn returns in the form of “interest and dividends” (improved quality of life) and “capital gains” (longer quantity of life). If you failed to start early, don’t waste another minute.
Your contributions to your account will ultimately make you “healthy-wealthy.” When sickness or disease inevitably surfaces, you will be well equipped to strike the noblest of fights because of your years of investment in your most valuable capital asset.
Andrew Siegel, M.D.
Please check out my brand new book: Male Pelvic Fitness: Optimizing Sexual and Urinary Health; available in e-book (Kindle, iBooks, Nook); paperback coming soon.
Our Greatest Wealth Is Health 