What Do You Invest In?

The life we create is determined by a series of choices. Sometimes that choice is determined by the lesser of two evils. Other times having to choose between two great things makes us angry to give one up. Though having a choice is always better than not.

When pondering a decision, I always consider the cost/benefit that choice creates. Certainly what we choose to invest in will either enhance or diminish our comfort. Assuming we want to be comfortable in our lives it makes sense to choose ways to enhance our health, financial freedom, our surroundings, our relationships, etc. It’s not rocket science but so often we make poor choices. The cost/benefit rule helps me greatly when faced with a not-so-great option.

I invest in my personal health first and foremost; physically, mentally and spiritually. Without those, I am a mere empty shell of a person. A bunch of fancy clothes, overpriced cosmetics with false promises or overspending on anything will not manifest health. The exterior package is fleeting and unsustainable. We will age and get gray hair, wrinkles and sagging skin. Those spider veins you had removed will reappear. That face lift will sag again. Gravity wins every time! We can dress it up and cover it up but the junk inside is eventually going to leak out. But focusing on improving the interior is eternal. The benefits are real and lasting rather than an illusion. Some of the most unhealthy and unhappy folks I know wear the most makeup, drive the fanciest car and drape themselves in expensive clothes and jewelry. The look in their eyes is a dead (emphasis on “dead”) giveaway that they are trying to bury what they don’t like about themselves. I myself, in my younger years, expended waaay too much energy on that sort of thing, on keeping up with the Jones.

That said, isn’t it better to fuel your body with proper nourishment, exercise regularly and surround yourself with positive people? I would much rather spend my hard earned time and money on clean eating rather than having to go to a doctor for gut problems. I’d rather spend 50 bucks for 5 exercise classes than on 1 physical therapy appointment. I’d rather have financial freedom than be stressed out by unnecessary debt. This kind of health is noticeable to others by the twinkle in your eye, the bounce in your step and the glow in your skin. For this girl, these are much better choices. So what will you invest in today, this week, this month, this year? We always have a choice but we only get one chance on this earth. Choose wisely!