The Latin root of health is “wholeness.” Physical fractures, feelings of disconnection, and perceived separations in relationships cause illness. Therefore, it’s not enough to just go to the gym or just bring someone flowers; vitality requires awareness, consideration, and an investment of time.
Robin Sharma, who hosts The Daily Mastery Podcast, created a holistic visual called The Four Interior Empires, which consist of:
We fill these sets with love through intention and attention. Some days, certain sets take a backseat; that’s life. Other days, we are firing on all cylinders. What matters is our consistency, far more than once-in-a-while attempts.
Another way to look at the same idea from a different perspective is an exercise called The Wheel of Life. On a scale of 1-10, how consistent are we in the most important areas of our lives?
Once aware, begin to prepare. What aspects are going well, and why? What areas need improvement, and why? Finish this activity by focusing on how to go from where you are to where you want to be & on who can help you.
The first step to mastery is self-awareness.
Similar to my last blog, More Clear, Less Fear, we become whole by intentionally filling holes.
My favorite commencement speech, the 2005 address by David Foster Wallace, summarizes the crux of awareness I’m referring to with a short story:
There are these two young fish swimming along,
and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way,
who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys. How's the water?"
The two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually, one of them looks over at the other and goes,
"What the hell is water?"
Unless we find the time for introspection and self-reflection, we will mindlessly wander through trials and tribulations, constantly numbing ourselves to pain rather than progressing toward what we want most. Unless we stop and become aware, we will routinely exclaim, “Life’s not fair.” Unless we deliberately design our own story, we will be part of the supporting cast of another person’s motion picture. Not by accident, our wealth is created by intention… one. act. of. love. at. a. time.
The wealthiest among us focus on wholeness.
Become truly wealthy by becoming fully healthy.
Full health is true wealth.
— MG