"The first wealth is health." Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no doubt that health is very important for our continuous existence on this earth. It is definitely correct to say that health is our first wealth. We must understand this truth and take it seriously in order to keep our body fully fit for any daily activities.
Think of people who are rushed to the hospital due to critical health conditions and kept in the Intensive Care Units with so many life supporting tubes where they battle hard to win their games of life-survival. The scene is really pathetic and pitiable. If you have been to the ICU block you would immediately think about your health and wish that you would never end up there some days. Thousands upon thousands of patients visit hospital everyday for routine check-ups and follow-ups and we have no idea how many patients die every minute or second daily all over the world out of mere negligence and casualness.
When you talk to the patients they often say that they would have better taken care of themselves before landing in the hospital. Many patients are the victims of 'instant-gratification.' They eat and drink whatever stuffs come to their table. They never eat with their brains. They never choose which food would be nice and healthy. Many patients eat food for taste and not for filling the stomach or satiating the hunger.
There are nearly 2 billion people in the world who go hungry every day and they die a death of malnutrition and hunger. They have no desire for food taste rather their main longing is to fill their stomach. But it is a complex phenomena today, though we have reached to the most highly advanced world era, we are not able to feed the hungry. Their health deteriorates further and further due to lack of food supplies. They die a poor health.
But there are people who have surplus to consume, they consume so much that they forget about maintaining a good health and they fall prey to over consumption and fall sick. When I travel, I see many new health - care centers mushrooming on every corner of the city and why? It is because there are many people who are going to fall sick due to their eating disorders. It is a thriving business for the health care industries all over the world.
It is good to desire for money as your wealth but it should not be your first priority of wealth. I know money is important and it is really very important today but money shouldn't be the cause of our poor health condition. Our first wealth must be health, the well-being of our physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual body. The Bible says clearly that 'what would you gain by winning the whole world when your body is sick and dying? You may have all the material wealth to enjoy and live but if you don't have a good health then your material wealth will not come to your aid to rescue you from suffering from critical health problems. There are cases or testimonies where rich patients died, they could escape from their illness. They didn't recover fully as a result they couldn't enjoy their life filled with material wealth.
Of course, money is needed to stay healthy and fit, but I don't mean money is bad. It is we who are bad and because of that we abuse the tools that we created. We should set right our priorities and follow it diligently over the period. If we value our health, we will take care of it well and if we have good self-esteem, we will never misuse our body. We will feed nutritious food always so that we have enough energy to go around the day.
Anthony Robbins, in his seminars and books has mentioned that health is very important and you can read his book or listen to his tapes. He lays down some rules to live a good standard life.
Today, if you happen to visit any college or school campus, you will observe young children smoking, eating marijuana, taking drugs and drinking cokes and alcohol to entertain themselves will pay definitely pay the price one day which they are not so aware of fully.
Therefore, it wise to take charge of our health. Doctors prescribe the medicines what the pharmaceutical companies promote through their agents and sometimes the medicines don't have any effect on the diseases. So it is time to eat healthy food always to stay healthy and fine.
Alwed Ekka
Guide Coach Mentor
