SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!
Now that we’ve discussed physical and mental health, we can finally move past that woo-woo shit and talk about the real meat and potatoes. Surprise! This is actually a personal finance blog.
I am mostly kidding, of course physical and mental health is paramount – DO NOT FORGET THAT. Physical and mental health is the basis of a happy, healthy life. They are the roots to your financial health tree and your flourishing life. They are the pillars upon which all else is built. A few tears just rolled down my cheeks and dropped on my keyboard as I type this poetry.
But let’s be real. In this world, at least the one I live in, you gotsta have some cashflow! But what’s the point of money and earning income? To pay for food and shelter? YES. To buy nice shit and gain power? NO.
Overall, the point of money, earning income, and having cashflow is to support your physical and mental health and the physical and mental health of others. If you utilize money effectively to do this, you are financially healthy. Financial health is needed to complete the health trifecta. What does financial health consist of? Three items:
- Earning income as a result of doing the following:
- something you are passionate about,
- something you enjoy,
- something fun,
- something supportive of a cause/mission you believe in,
- something supportive of your community, and/or
- something supportive of your health.
- Receiving passive income to maximize available time. Passive means requiring very little time and effort. For example, receiving dividends from investments you hold or selling an e-book online and receiving money whenever someone clicks “Buy”. Growing your passive income is especially important if you are not involved in item 1 above. In other words, if you are in a job that has a negative impact on your health or a job that does not significantly utilize your strengths, skills and passions and you cannot find anything listed under item 1, you better grow those passive income streams because the longer you stay in an unhealthy job, the greater disservice you do to your health and to the world by not capitalizing on your strengths, skills, and passions. Does that run-on sentence make sense?
- Again, knowing money is a tool and nothing more. A tool to support your physical and mental health and the physical and mental health of others. The more money you make, the more you can contribute to making yourself and others healthy.
So, let’s start this financial health discussion with a thought experiment that will certainly spark some gratitude for your ungrateful ass.
Assume you have absolutely NOTHING. No job, no money, no investments, no home, no property, no phone, no computer, no car, no belongings. NOTHING.
What’s next?