It has been an Interesting past few days. I have had a good time to reflect and learn more about myself and my priorities.
What if?
I have seen a few people with so much negativity in them, whether from poor health, loneliness, being eaten by jealously or whatever, just lose the plot. I was wondering whether if ill health or misfortune were to strike me down (eg a sudden heart attack) how would I like to be remembered?
Makes you think doesn’t it. Life is short. You only live once. So why do so many people live life in fear of themselves and other people, hide from reality, and inflict so much pain on themselves without even knowing it. Your health is very important – without good health you are either dead, dead tired, in pain or likely to head that way soon. I am not just talking about physical health but mental health too.
My wife’s sister died from poor mental health at her own hands, I have known others with mental illness that have felt so miserable they have attempted the same, and seen friends and family die from physical illnesses and had a friend die instantly in a car crash from a lack of focus and crossing the line of the road, killing his girlfriend and the the oncoming car’s driver.
My stories
I have learned that life is too short to play games. I admit I have played some – but on reflection it is just too damn tiring. It is time to figure out what your true values are, and to live those beliefs. Where are your priorities? What is the point of having money if all you do is work 90 hours a week then get a crippling cancer and die early? My Grandmother who is currently 89 years old has lived for 16 years longer than my grandfather did and is still going strong. One of her biggest joys is me not going into medicine like her husband and son (an uncle). Why? Surely being a Doctor is fantastic and right up there with being a lawyer or elite Businessman.
The answer is that he worked such long hours whether studying to be a doctor, practicing to be a specialist (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), being on call 24/7 until he was 52, as babies just don’t come out from 9 – 5 like they should! Then when he was a superintendent of a hospital the paperwork was so much that he worked 80 hours a week in the office instead “with the gloves”. He then worked as a consultant for the Minstry of Health to the day he died in his 70s on health standards for immigrants (as even the most deranged left wingers would agree that it is just plan stupid to allow someone to immigrate to NZ when us taxpayers have to pay $50,000 per year to keep them alive – get this some immigrants we allow in cost us many hundreds of thousands a year more than that, but I don’t want to stray off topic). So maybe he had work as his number one priority. I know granny did not appreciate this – and she misses him dearly. She is glad that I am not in a strict 8:30 – 5pm job (or worse) and not going down the same path as my grandfather.
I never met my other grandfather. He was a builder turned propertydeveloper. He died of cancer before I was born. His wife and my grandmother lived into her 90s, nearly 30 years after he died. It is not such good news statistically for us guys so we need to be even more vigiliant about our health. Do you really want to leave your loved ones by themselves for many of the best years of your life when not only do you not have to work, but can relax, travel and do what you like if you are in good financial, physical and mental health.
Get in good financial, physical and mental health
Find the balance guys. Surely the important things are to be in the best mental, physical and financial health you can be. When you have these three things all healthy you are a devastating force, and can truly be “in the zone”.
Don’t get me wrong having money is fantastic and I am very passionate about building my wealth and wealth of other people. But it is not my main priority in life. It gives me a home, passive income streams, good equity reserves to leverage into to create cashflow from. BUT without good mental and physical health it would not mean as much to me.
My message is also think about where you are heading. Do you like where you are going? If you don’t surely now is the time for change. How can I get in better physical and mental health. I think you should all know by now to speak with Richmastery or me if you want to get in better financial shape.
Postnote:
If anyone reading this knows someone that may be feeling depressed there is help out there. One of the greatest ever All Blacks, Auckland rugby try scorers and my former butcher John Kirwan is fronting a very successful campaign aimed at helping curb New Zealand’s atrociously high suicide rate and encourage those with mental illness to acknowledge that it is ok to feel the way they do and there is help. I have lost a loved one to suicide and it really hurts. I with I could resurrect her, known what I could have done about it. For some it may not be too late. I highly recommend taking a look at http://www.outoftheblue.org.nz/index.php. Whilst you may be like me and lucky enough not to have any mental health issues – maybe someone you know is not so fortunate. What can you do as a friend to assist them?