Essential Tool for Productivity Historically: Your Health

This is an article written by Aaron Conway.  Wrestling Champion and Coach as well as a partner of mine in my primary opportunity.  Excellent perspective...A must read...Bill
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When asked to list the things you can't live without, what things come to mind? According to a respected social trend publication, the top 5 things that Americans can't live without are:

What do you think? Do any of these make your list?

Now approach the question in its most literal sense. The answer changes completely. You can't live without your health. My view is that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything. You can't work. You can't sleep. You can't provide for your family. You can't function correctly.

It's for this reason that you absolutely cannot afford to lose your health.

What is health? Webster defines health as "the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially : freedom from physical disease or pain."

Poor health is much more than a sickness or disease. It's the inability to fall asleep or really high stress levels. It's the migraine headaches, high blood pressure, even depression. It's that feeling of wanting to just lay around all day because you don't feel like doing anything. Poor health is causing people to miss out on everything that this life has to offer.

R.V. Pierce, MD, writes in his medical textbook The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser:

"Health and disease are physical conditions upon which pleasure and pain, success and failure, depend. Every individual gain increases public gain. Upon the health of its people is based the prosperity of a nation; by it every value is increased, every joy enhanced. Life is incomplete without the enjoyment of healthy organs and faculties, for these give rise to the delightful sensations of existence. Health is essential to the accomplishment of every purpose; while sickness thwarts the best intentions and loftiest aims. We are continually deciding upon those conditions which are either the source of joy and happiness or which occasion pain and disease. Prudence requires that we should meet the foes and obviate the dangers which threaten us, by turning all our philosophy, science, and art, into practical common sense. If we have light, why hide it from the world? Truth should be made as universal and health-giving as sunlight. We say, give light to all who are in darkness, and a remedy to the afflicted everywhere."

What makes this so striking is that it was published in 1893! The idea that our nation's poor economy could be the direct result of our nation's poor (and consistently declining) health is of great concern. This correlation should not, and cannot be ignored. Something must be done, but is has to start with the individual.

People are starting to budget more closely—and certain items that people deem "less important" are being eliminated in an effort to cut back. Grocery lists do not include healthy ingredients simply because they cannot be afforded and multivitamins "aren't worth the money." Health is subconsiously being thrown out the door.

It is in our best interest as individuals and as a nation to invest in our health. Because as we stated earlier, if we don't have our health, we don't have anything!!