The True Path to Riches

            In my journey through this life, I have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of people in many different industries and occupations. As I have progressed in business and expanded my dealings to include real estate and other investments, I have been very fortunate to meet many individuals with a very high net worth. In other words, they are what we call wealthy or rich. The knowledge that I’ve gained from the individuals is truly priceless when it comes to making money and dealing with the stresses of business. However, most of the conversations that I have with the wealthy people steer in a direction towards health and fitness. I would even venture to say that most of the time spent in conversation is me answering fitness and diet questions that they have. I find this interesting, because most of these people are much more financially successful than I am, but nevertheless I am the one giving advice. This has led me to an interesting conclusion: that true wealth lies in being fit and healthy.

Sure, money is important. To say that it’s not is to kid yourself. Nothing can replace money in the areas where money is concerned. Money is very important. But money can be replaced with more money. Most rich people have lost money in different investments only to earn it back later on. What are even more important than money are the things that cannot be replaced. Namely, health and time. The quality of life you have and the amount of time you have to live are by far the most important things in life. Being fit and healthy is the best way to ensure a high quality of life, as well as longevity. I’ve found that having a high level of fitness is also one best paths to self-satisfaction. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, if you are dissatisfied with your body or plagued with health problems, the quality of life will not be any greater than someone who has much less money and is perfectly healthy and athletic. A BMW or Ferrari or a mansion cannot replace a healthy, lean and toned body. Although, a lean and toned body in a Ferrari or BMW is mighty fine…

This leads me to my next point: the greatest investment you can possibly make is in your physical and emotional well being. I mention emotional because emotion comes from motion. By changing your physiology, you can dramatically alter your emotional well being. Studies show again and again that exercise is more effective than antidepressants and other drugs to promote an overall feeling of well being. I can personally testify that I cured my depression after being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis by going to the gym and transforming my body through weight training. Now it’s a regular part of my life (almost daily) and I love it because it puts me in a great mood and makes me feel powerful as opposed to powerless against a disease. I train earlier in the day because I feel it sets me up for a good day. I’m able to deal with the stresses of life much better having already trained my body and elevated my mood. Being fit gives me a sense of power and control over my world. I don’t feel like life is happening to me, but rather that life is happening for me.

Of course, the other big factor in fitness and health is nutrition. Although I believe exercise is one of the most important things anyone can do to improve their life as a whole, diet is just as important. Because diet and nutrition are such a stigmatized subject and many people don’t like hearing or reading about it, I’ll keep it simple. There are foods and supplements that feed and nourish your body and there are foods and substances that harm it greatly. Your body is fueled by the nutrients you give it and your physical performance depends greatly on this fuel. Not giving the body proper nutrition is akin to making a bad financial investment over and over again without learning the lesson. I cannot even tell you how many “rich” people I have met that are severely overweight, out of shape and very unhealthy. You would think these people, who clearly have great knowledge of how to produce income in the marketplace through wise investments decisions, would understand the need to invest the body. Perhaps they do, which is why I get asked for training and nutrition advice so often by affluent people. But as we all know, it’s easy to understand something intellectually. It’s another thing to actually take and act on advice.

If you’re fit and healthy, congratulations! Stay on the path and live life to the fullest. If you are fit but haven’t quite made it in the marketplace yet, don’t worry. The wealth will come as long as you stay healthy and make good decisions. If you have affluence, but have failed to stay fit and healthy, remember this… there is only one true path to lasting wealth. And that, my friends, is to do whatever is in your power to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle.