By: Staff Contributor
Have you ever been asked what you want most in life? It’s a question that feels both simple and immense. Our minds immediately race to the grand ambitions we hold dear: a bigger salary, a new car, a house, or the kind of love that fills movie screens. We paint these vivid pictures of success and happiness in our minds. Yet, in all of these dreams, we rarely, if ever, mention the most fundamental asset we have: our health.
It’s not that we don't value it. We just tend to take it completely for granted. It sits in the background of our lives, an unspoken guarantee that we will be able to pursue all of those other desires. We operate under the quiet assumption that our bodies will simply work, our minds will stay sharp, and we will be free to chase our dreams without interruption. It is only when our bodies send us a sharp, undeniable reminder—through a sudden illness, a nagging pain, or an unforeseen diagnosis—that we are forced to confront its true worth. It is in those moments of vulnerability that we realize no amount of money in the world can substitute for a single day of feeling well.
We’ve all heard the tragic stories: people in desperate situations, forced to sell their organs just to afford a chance at life for themselves or their families. We read about their plight, shake our heads in sympathy, and perhaps feel a fleeting moment of gratitude for our own good fortune. But what about the other side of that story? What about those who have already climbed to the top of the financial mountain, only to find that the ultimate price of success was their health?
Imagine having all the money in the world. A luxurious villa, a private jet, a fleet of expensive cars. Yet you spend your days confined to a hospital bed, tethered to a dialysis machine, or enduring the exhausting, relentless cycle of chemotherapy. All that wealth sits there, an impotent observer to your suffering. You can’t travel, you can’t enjoy a simple meal with friends, you can’t even go for a walk in your own garden to feel the sun on your face. The very things that make life worth living—freedom, movement, joy—are simply unavailable to you. In the end, all that money becomes little more than a tool to manage your discomfort. It's a sobering thought that the most powerful currency isn't money; it's health.
The irony is that it doesn’t even take a major illness to teach us this lesson. Our biggest insights often come from the smallest of ailments. I remember a time when I got a simple fever blister on my lip. It seemed harmless enough at first, but it quickly swelled and spread, becoming a painful, unsightly mark that seemed to take over half my face. I became so self-conscious that I didn't want to leave the house. I had plans with friends, a social calendar that was packed, but all I could focus on was this small physical imperfection. My world shrank to the size of my mirror.
In that moment, I found myself thinking, "I just want my old face back." I wasn't asking for perfect skin or a different nose. I was longing for the face I had before—the one I had complained about countless times, the one whose flaws I had so casually critiqued. It was an instant, powerful reminder of how we devalue what we have, only to desperately want it back when it's gone. The same is true for a stubborn toothache that keeps you up at night, a strained muscle that makes every step agony, or a simple cold that leaves you foggy and unable to focus. They are small warnings from our bodies, gentle nudges reminding us that our well-being is not a given; it is a gift.
So, the next time you find yourself stuck in a cycle of comparison and complaint—feeling angry because you don’t have enough money, frustrated because you haven’t landed your dream job, or heartbroken because your life hasn’t aligned with the perfect vision you had for it—stop for a moment. Go to the mirror and take a long, honest look at the reflection staring back at you.
See your eyes, clear and bright. See your hands, capable and strong. Feel the rhythm of your breath as it fills your lungs. Remember that you are walking, talking, breathing, and experiencing this world with all your faculties. In that moment, recognize how truly wealthy you are. Your health is the foundation upon which everything else is built. It’s the ultimate asset, the one you can’t insure or replace.
We are so often told to look for happiness and fulfillment in what we can acquire or achieve. But true gratitude, the kind that anchors you and gives you perspective, comes from appreciating what you already have. Being healthy is the most valuable and fundamental blessing of all. Remember, no matter how bad you think you have it, it can always get worse. The key is to be profoundly grateful for what you have now, and to never, ever take your good health for granted.
