I am writing about anything fitness / health / wellness. Not that I am ‘well’ versed, I know what I know. People are not cognizant of their overall well-being. People are unmindful of the imbalance of the attention that is given to earning a living. Many people regard earning as the pinnacle of living. Material concerns cloud other aspects of existing in this earth plane. This creates a never ending cycle: earning, spending, earning, spending. Money is a sham in that it is created and allowed to ‘represent’ wealth, per se. However, when we, as the conductors of our own personal journeys, take hold of the reins, we can bring a balance to how we proceed with and conduct our lives.
On a visceral level, people do know that their needs demand ‘more’ attention than they are typically given . Be they physical. Be they psycho-emotio-mental. Be they spiritual. Many people have not come to a point of prioritizing their own self-care. While the notion of self-care is becoming more mainstream, with many people recognizing its’ importance, studies show that a significant portion of individuals do not give it adequate significance, often due to time constraints or feeling guilty for taking time for themselves. Just as the obligations to the external world are met, the person must give precedence to their personal wellness.
For many. the meeting of these needs falls short of the mark. Our (U.S.A.) society is overly vested in earning a living. With the need to make ends meet, many are on the go-go-go treadmill. They want to make the money. There is often the giving over of wellness to working. This may entail working overtime. This may require working an extra job. If one is living paycheck to paycheck in a effort to afford a ‘certain lifestyle’, then some things must, by default, go to the wayside. Physical health. Adequate rest. Proper nutrition. Mental stability. Spiritual Attunement. The degree to which these qualities should be indulged should not be, but often are, overlooked.
The emphasis that is placed, more so, on earning while living is, by and large, accepted as a given. Living, for our purposes, is defined as being present – physically healthy, mentally stable, spiritually aware (even if spirituality is not important). This does not mean that finances are not important. It is just that finances must occupy their limited space and not be given precedence over personal wellness and well-being. Finances will not keep one mentally stable nor will they keep them out of the hospital. Financial well-being can assist one in maintaining overall wellness. Yet, the bulk of the work in attaining and maintaining wellness comes from the effort exerted in that regard by individual effort.
Living is not owning new cars, purchasing new clothes, taking multiple vay-kays . . . . these things, per se, are not bad. Yet, when the end all and be all centers around (these) things, or if life is just a constancy of time spent slogging though mundane events, then there really is no living. We are existing to earn . . . earning to exist in a milieu of material acquisition. A car can always be purchased, repaired, replaced. To each person is given one body, one mind, one spirit. Unless one wants to follow a path leading to decay and debilitation, these aspects of self, those being mind, body, spirit, must be taken as gifts to be properly and appropriately maintained. .
Sufficiency of money is the overarching concern, with little room for much else. People come into modern and developing societies that are overrun with loans and dept. The act of owning things is a dance of balancing personal finances. Owning things outright, the bigger purchases, involves taking on dept. Things will be fine as long as one manages their debt load. Even then, it is a situation of work, spend, work, spend, etc. The issues arise when one begins to ‘live beyond their means’. This means that the ability to keep up the mandatory payments can obscure day to day requirements for living (food, clothes, gas, and various other expenditures) sometimes have to be restrained. Balance is key; things will be fine as long as balance can be maintained.
There is a limit to symbolism and actuality of money as a source of stability and security. Yes, money can buy things. The necessity of money is tied to everything that takes place and that is accessible in society. It is a medium of exchange. It does hold a value that is subject to economic forces. In short, the value that is placed upon money is tied to how it is accepted as that medium of exchange. In the U.S.A. money is just printed; it is termed as fiat. There is no intrinsic value that is applicable to money other than it being the designated tool for exchange. Money valuation can be manipulated based upon the intent of governmental powers. Basically, this highly coveted source of security is a facade. There is no stable value of money.
Although money is a needed tool for navigating the day to day requirements of living, it does not have to be your master. The more attention that one gives attention to (making) money relates inversely to the overall attention that one gives to their health. Meaning that as one prioritizes their capacity to make money, they minimize their attention to their health and wellness. As this dynamic continues,. the compromised health and wellness scenarios develop and attention must be given on the back end. One can still make money but a requirement for balance must be met. To be wealthy is commendable. To have good health is stellar. Both can support each other. Health, when not maintained, becomes costly to sustain.
People are aware that their personal needs require more attention than they are typically given. Many are engrossed in day to day activities of survival. The main concern that runs through society is that of paying bills, of earning a living. This is the this life into which many insert themselves, which many accept as normal. Acquisition of things does not equate to living; this is a truth that does not resonate well with the masses Financial stability is a constant quest that can be like hitting moving target. Although money is necessary , very much so, but the value of money is subject to economic forces and government intentions. The necessity of money cannot over-ride the need to give attention to personal wellness.
Ab-Sutra Wellness and Fitness 