With all the headlines about the crisis in our financial system, it is very easy to become consumed and worry about our wealth. After all, what else are we supposed to think about when our stock holdings are tumbling in front of us?
Then in the middle of reading about all the financial articles, a tweet from Frugal Dad brings everything back to perspective. His mom is in intensive care unit at the hospital, and all he really wishes for is her to recover. I’d like to use this opportunity to wish him and his mom the best and I want to dedicate this post to her.
I’m the first to admit about the important of money, but as I mature, I discover that there are just so many things more important than how much wealth we have.
Health
Without our health, nothing really matters. We all wish that we still had the energy when we were 10 years younger. However, we seldom do anything to slow down this process even though we realize our health slowly deteriorates through time.
We just found out my dad’s bones have severely deteriorated and the doctor told us there’s nothing we could do at this point. As the end result might be a need for a wheelchair, we only now wished that we could’ve done more exercises with him through all these years.
Taking care of our health should be our number one priority. This includes doing adequate exercise and maintaining a balance diet.
Family
If our health is like a building, then our family is the foundation that holds the structure up. From our mother’s unconditional love to our spouse’s constant emotional support, many of us usually take it for granted.
We need to constantly tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them and let them know that we care about them. We should also go out of our way to help them, because doing so will allow the family bond to stay strong.
Happiness
Some of us feel that money equates to happiness but many of us take it to the extreme and miss the point. What ends up happening is that without really thinking about it, we sacrifice our health and family for potential wealth building opportunities. This sounds illogical if I point out that a common example of this is working excessively, you probably understand why. When you work too hard, you are giving up precious family time and also your health as you spend less hours relaxing and resting trying to get ahead.
Money is only a tool to assist with our lifestyle but it is not the source of our happiness. Focus on being happy, and you will suddenly find that money is not as important as it used to be.
Final Words
I want to wish Frugal Dad and his mom the best and I wish that I could do more than writing a blog post about it.
For those reading this piece, I hope that you will focus on what’s truly important. Stay healthy, be happy and let your family know how much you care about them.
What Else is More Important than Money?
Let’s share and make a list.
{ read the comments below or add one }
at 86 I am in GREAT health.I take no drugs aspin or flu shots.I hate doctors as they almost killed me with drugs as far as I see it 50% of the doctors should be in prison and on death row.
A lot of things are more important than money, David.
“What will it profit a man if he gain the WHOLE world, but lose his own soul?” from the Greatest Teacher that ever lived known to many as Savior
Karl
Helping Others Intensify Their Effectiveness
Right now, time to spend with family plus the opportunity to go back to school and finish my Masters.
I have seen first hand how angry people with money become when they realize that all their wealth cannot buy them the health they think they deserve, or a meaningful loving or a happy relationship, and it will not buy their way into heaven.
It is easier to put a camel through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter into heaven…or something like that.
I’d rather be right with god, my spouse, my family, and my community. A poor man can be all of those and be happy.
For me family and health rank higher than money…maybe it is because I have aged and now realize the importance of these. In my younger days, I must admit, that I was constantly in a rush to make more money.
Enjoyed your post by the way.
Thank you for this forum. The last two years I was generally unwell. I had terrible headaches. I would wake up with a headache, sometimes go to sleep with a headache. I was always weak. Beginning of last year, I got a viral infection. I had all the money to go for treatment. I would like to say one thing, I was never happy. I am 29 years. I have learnt that health is very important. Family is so important, they are there in the ups and downs. Friends come and go but family stick with you to the end. Money is important too but it should not become our obsession. In the process of chasing after this obsession, we lose what is important.
WITH LOVE from Kampala, Uganda
Ganesh, I agree that MONEY alone would not hold ground……. It’s just a
tool that if used properly can enrich the life of the person who has it and
those close to them……. Life is hard when their isn’t enough money to
put adequate food on the table; own a reliable auto; to have needed
dental work; to puchase adequate insurance; rent /own a safe place to
live; get a good education………etc.
In my opinion, speaking from experience, life without MONEY is a horrendous challenge!
Thanks everyone for sharing your opinion. I have always felt that Health, Family and Friends along with life’s little pleasures are as highly important as Money. Without the above mentioned ones, Money all by itself would not hold ground in anyone’s life.
Thanks to moneyning for sharing a great post!
Thank you all for sharing your opinion. I appreciate knowing how
differfent people think about this topic – I find it interesting & exciting. However,
my opinion is that MONEY comes first, hands down! Everything else is
important – health; family; relationships. But if you or a family member is sick & can’t afford insurance and have no MONEY your choices for treatment are limited. If a family member needs financial assistance (job loss or whatever) without MONEY you can’t be of much help. In my opinion, in our society, the
choices and options you get to choose are mainly based on whether you can afford to do whatever needs to get done. It might be nice if it were different but the fact is you can’t survive in our economy without MONEY!!!!!!!
i agree health and happiness. makes you more complete person.
My health, my rights and my right to make choices and have options are all more important than money!
Great points. 🙂 I’ve written something similar on what money can’t buy.
It’s a pity people put money on such a high rank. We should try having a balanced life where the first places should be taken, as you said, by health, family, the little pleasures that add a touch of pink to our lives. For sure money can facilitate us a lot of things, but it doesn’t have to be an obsession. Because if we are healthy, giving and receiving love for sure money will find its way to us.
Family is SOOOOOO overrated-give me 500 million instead.
Money is not the most important thing in the world but it ranks up there with oxygen. In the wheel of life, one must optimize all areas in order to live a fulfilling life. Money. Health. Relationships. Faith.
Thanks so much for reminding us of the more important things.
Hopefully Frugal Dad’s mother is or at least will be doing well soon.
Add to your list: TIME.
To me time is more and more precious the older I become. Time to be with family is the most precious. Followed by Time to exercise and take care of my health. Time to tweak my finances. Time to stop and smell the roses, to be happy, to find contentment, to remember and to reflect.
I believe I am becoming even more frugal with my TIME than I am frugal with my money (which is VERY frugal). I’m Learning to say NO to things which aren’t important enough to cause the loss of time with the grandkids and kids.
We really are kinda spoiled. It’s not a bad thing to turn back inward.
Connie – my parents are about an hour out of Houston, I think their power is still out too. As is my aunt’s in Ohio, they got caught in a freak wind storm from Ike hitting a front up in their area. Enjoy the quiet? 🙂
Much support to Frugal Dad as well. I hope that his mother recovers quickly, I will be thinking of them.
I’ve been thinking something along these lines myself lately. Our power is out here, thanks to Ike, and they are saying it could be two weeks before it’s back on.
We are staying with my Mom and Dad, and while it’s a bit of a strain, I am so very thankful.
There is nothing in the world that replaces family.