By Joseph Rutakangwa
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to make history. I was influenced by characters in fictional stories and historical figures. For this reason, I believed it that’s what it meant to live a meaningful life and most of my life since then was about becoming the very best in any area – whether it’s remaining on top of my class or having control over my dreams. Sometime along the way, I ventured on a mission to find truth and clarity, and a decade down the road I came to a realization of what the most valuable things in life are.
Here are 3 most valuable things in life, in order of value:
1. Peace
I had wealth on top of my list of what I valued most in life. Then, I was in a good position with a solid income as an expert in what I did – everything I always wanted. But, I worked 16-hour days/7 days a week, worked in a toxic environment, didn’t spend any time in my fancy apartment, couldn’t spend time with people I love, almost always ate in my car or at a business luncheon. It was at 1 am as I headed home when I realized I had been driving on the wrong side of the road for….I didn’t know how long. That was it. Finally, it registered in my mind that I was ploughing through life meaninglessly only chasing numbers.
That morning peace became the most important thing in my life.
Peace, by definition, is freedom from disturbance. The peace I’m talking about here is inner peace through which you accept yourself, acknowledge the past, and accept your life.
It’s not about being happy or sad (these are fluctuating states), but rather being poised.
We get disturbance from:
– Ourselves; the way we think about our past, assess our present life, imagine our future
– People; family members, colleagues at work, etc.
We eliminate this disturbance by changing:
– Ourselves: by accepting the past, being cool with the present, and optimistic about the future. Consciously choosing the story we tell ourselves is key.
– People: the more self-aware you become the easier you find it to set boundaries, correctly choose who to work and hang out with, etc.
Yes, I’ve practiced all of the above and more. It works.
2. Health
One year after having my revelation on peace, the order of value was peace > wealth. Well, it only took a serious toothache to slap me into clarity. I was at peace and making a good living, but the power that physical pain had toppled wealth from the second position. What’s the value of earning a million dollars a month if you’re living in agony? None. A million dollars only has value if it is used to eliminate the pain which, therefore, makes health more valuable.
Fast-forward from the toothache episode, there was a time I got seriously ill from traveling. I didn’t panic, wasn’t afraid of death, and didn’t feel like I was running behind on business moves. It was just…calm.
Stress suppresses the immune system and prolonged stress is a major contributing factor to diseases like cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, and many others. With peace, most of these health issues disappear. And with health, you’re all set to build wealth.
Maintaining good health is fairly straightforward; be at peace, sleep well, eat organic food, and move around.
We all get sick, but once we’re cured we forget how it felt to be that powerless and what mattered most when we were at our potential death beds. If we are to take our potential death-bed perspectives seriously, the order of the 3 most valuable things in life would be very clear.
3. Wealth
Some say, “More money, more problems.” But this is assuming that one does not have clarity on the order of the most valuable things in life which should guide them to make correct decisions for one’s life.
Others say, “Money can’t buy happiness.” I can tell you right now – it can. There’s a time when I only had one meal every two days and slept in a cave (an actual cave up in the mountains) and now eating anything I want, whenever I want, in my comfortable apartment. The contrast between the two is a loud, clear statement that money can buy happiness. However, if one does not have clarity on the order of the 3 most valuable things in life then yes, money can’t buy them happiness.
Wealth is an abundance of financial assets that can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. Keyword being abundance.
To me, wealth is valuable when I create it by doing what I’m passionate about, the way I want, and use it to live how I want, with the people I love.
The book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, is an ultimate manual on how to build wealth. From the day I started following this guide, my life was never the same. I run a data service startup, make music on weekends, spend time with the people I love, and get all the sleep I need.
I’ve met many people who at one point claim that they don’t need to be wealthy and then at some other point in their life their loved ones die because they couldn’t afford to fly them to another country for a medical procedure. Life is unpredictable by nature. Wealth acts as a shock absorber to absorb the impact when life hits you by surprise.
Peace – your mind, body, and environment is in balance.
Health – your body sustains many challenges.
Wealth – better positions you to navigate external events.
Peace > health > wealth. These are the 3 most valuable things in life.
Life is for living, tap into it.
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Well said brother…in life those three in order are keys!!
Indeed!