Health is wealth, and wealth is health.
It is one thing to have knowledge of something; it is another thing to implement it.
For years I plunged myself into work, ignoring other dimensions of my life until I started feeling caged, obese, anti-social and narrow-minded in learning. My life was just about work! My close friends were my colleagues, and all we talked about most times was work. Even when I talked to my dad, he wanted to discuss my work. I refused to discuss work with my dad at some point, because an alarm went off in my head. Does it mean my life is only about work?
Even though I had these feelings, it took another 2 – 3 years before I began to take actions in other areas of my life.
I am still not consistent, but I can now say I am taking baby steps.
Wealth goes beyond financial wealth. It’s about being rich and stable in all areas of our lives – finance, spirit, soul, body, and relationships. It is costly to focus on finance only. We are a spirit; we have a soul, and we live in a body. It is costly to focus on the body and ignore the soul and the spirit. These three are interconnected and interdependent, and none of these parts can go solo. When they go solo, you struggle, but when they work together as one, you have synergy. Being whole is best!
Yes, they have different roles, but each one’s performance impacts the other. We must have all parts of us working together as one for wholeness to be achieved.
When the mind is sick, perhaps filled with chronic unforgiveness or jealousy, with time, the body gets sick. Studies have shown the positive and negative influence of forgiveness on physical, mental, and social health. It was said of survivors of concentration camp during the second world war that those who forgave their enemies rebuilt their lives while those who nursed bitterness remained invalid.
So, you see, it is possible to eat healthily, exercise and sleep well, yet observe minimal progress in your health.
While the body is seen and we are aware of it, we should also focus on the unseen – spirit and mind. For the things which are seen are temporal, and those not seen are eternal. To be optimally healthy, you must consider the unseen.
Spirit, Mind and Body
The spirit is you; your spirit is eternal, and it is through your spirit you connect with God and develop a relationship with him. This is where we decide right and wrong. This is where we hold our convictions and deepest beliefs, self-identity, and worth. It is our spirit that motivates and directs our thoughts.
Mind houses our intellect, thoughts, emotions and will. Our mind is the voice you hear within you. Our mind is the link between our spirit and our body. Mind submits to the spirit and animates our bodies through our brains.
The mind communicates to the brain, and the brain directs the functions of the body. So, when our mind is healthy, the body is energized.
The body, the seen, is how we relate with the physical world through our senses. The body is the vessel that houses the spirit and mind. The body yields to the mind at both conscious and subconscious levels.
Health is the body’s default position, as our bodies were created in such a way that they can thrive. When we embrace truthful thoughts and renew our minds, it promotes vibrant thought life. Because the mind is connected to the body, a healthy thought life will produce renewed physical vitality.
Relationships
We are wired for relationships and good relationships with God and men will promote mental, emotional, and physical health.
The benefits of our social network are immense. I remember I joined a couple of friends to pay another friend a visit. It was a road trip that took about 5 hours. It was a journey filled with so much laughter. I realized what I was missing by burying myself in work. The hang out was a time for stress reduction, learning and happiness.
Relationships are significant support in times of life’s challenges, like illness, loss, and stress.
Seeking to be whole
A circle is called a circle because it is wholly round, with no corners or edges. A circle is a symbol of unity and wholeness. When one-eight or one-quarter is cut off, it is no longer a circle. It is no longer whole.
It’s no way profitable to pursue making money at the expense of other aspects of life. Being wealthy in these five areas (finance, spirit, soul, body, and relationships) produces balance and contentment such that even if you are not financially a billionaire but stable in other areas, you have peace.
Being holistically healthy in spirit, soul and body is your responsibility, and it is important to your purpose. We should mindfully employ and implement techniques and strategies to improve our overall well-being. No one will do it for you. No one will do it for me. Every other person is trying to make sense out of their lives. Acquire the knowledge you need to ensure you are improving all aspects of your life one day at a time.
Being holistically healthy is not an achievement; it is a state of being that must be sustained throughout your stay here on earth.
The spirit, soul and body are interconnected as confirmed by The Script which says, “A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones (Proverbs 14:30, The Message); and ” A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, Amplified),
The interconnection of the spirit, body and soul shows that when one is sick or injured, with time, the mind and spirit are affected.
To truly be holistically healthy, we must first understand our identity in our creator. He is the one that makes us whole. He is the one who gives life and purpose. In being whole, the spirit is involved, and the spirit detached from his maker will struggle to be whole.
Remember WHO’s definition, being healthy is not just about absence of diseases. There is harmony of holistic wealth when the spirit, mind and body are working effectively in unison.
