From the moment we hit kindergarden, we are geared towards educating and investing in ourselves and the people we love. We invest in our children’s education, sending them to private schools, Kumon, flute lessons and French. We tirelessly put our hand up for opportunities at work, trying to advance our careers and personal development. We are told to invest in houses, buy cars and the newest version of a Thermomix. Our businesses, our bottom line, the ROI on a project we are devoting our time to. We are told to invest in a diversified portofilio; shares, property, bonds and stocks that pay dividends. But we are never told to invest in our health and wellbeing, nor educated on the dividends we reap doing so.

As our society becomes increasingly obese, there is a disturbing disconnect between what our schools are teaching, or not teaching our children, what messages we are subliminally sending our kids and the types of conversations we are having with ourselves in how we prioritise our approach to health and wellbeing.

We’ve heard it all before, our health is our wealth. But it’s true; without it, we really do have zilch. What’s the point of acquiring mass fortune if we become chronically ill from a life of neglecting our health? What joy will we feel, what type of positive contribution can we make, when our bodies constantly ache or we have done irreparable damage to our digestive system by abusing it with a life time of processed, “convenience” food making us and our children sick with each bite?

Taking our health for granted is like buying a brand new convertible and not paying the car insurance. You may get away with driving around for a while, but the day will come when you misjudge a corner and do a side job against a carpark wall, scrape the rim or have a magnificent collision with an oncoming garbage truck. (Yes, I’ve done ALL of these.) Just before he died, Steve Jobs as he lay in his death bed, reflected on his life and having achieved what society deemed the ‘pinnacle of success’ he warned of the dangers of neglecting one’s health as he did, recognising “there is one thing that can never be found when you lose it, your life.”

When we take the time and nurture our health as our most precious commodity, we receive ongoing dividends every single day that weave into all facets of our lives. Here are my top four;

1. Our mental health, cognitive abilities, proprioception and thoughts are greatly enhanced. This is not only through the food we eat, but also by moving our bodies everyday, the way we were bio-mechanically designed to do. Consequently our general outlook, our self worth and how we regard ourselves as a contributing and valued member of society are deeply etched into our mindset and approach to life.
2. Our approach to our interpersonal relationships vastly improves. Think about the mornings you decide to go on that morning run or squeeze in that PT session and you feel amazing afterwards. You go on about your day, radiating positivity to yourself and to others. You feel connected with your family and friends, the people you interact with and the community you live in. Breaking out of that auto-pilot mode, you give your husband/wife/kids/boyfriend/dog a real hug or kiss on your way to work, you have a conversation (two humans interacting through speech circa. paleolithic period 500,000 years ago – 2010) with the cute barista not your iPhone screen when paying for your morning coffee. You smile at a stranger walking down the street. You are more open to ideas and proactive at work. You find time to volunteer at the food van in your suburb. Whatever the situation, any of these can stem from doing something positive for our health, be it through movement, meditation, the practice of yoga, gratitude, self awareness and nourishing our bodies in the right way.
3. Our connection with nature and the world we live in. By engaging with nature we are creating a reciprocal exchange between the gifts the earth provides us and what we give back, promoting a connection and conversation with the world we live in. By taking time out of our busy lives to re-connect with nature, going for a walk, trail run, swimming in the ocean or climbing a mountain we experience a bi-folded benefit; we are not only actively enhancing our health and mental wellbeing but gaining mind clarity and feeling more attune and connected with our world.
4. Our personal satisfaction and self awareness improves by choosing to concentrate on the things in life we intrinsically know will fulfil us. By developing and reinforcing these daily healthy habits we familiarise and strengthen our conscious knowledge of our life’s direction, our motives, values and desires and we channel our time into what we know in our hearts will give us the true sense of the success we seek in life.