The 3 Pillars of True Wealth: Relationships, Health, and Freedom
Don’t reverse the order
When we talk about wealth, we immediately relate it to money.
But if you stop to think about it, are the happiest moments in your life connected to money?
In my case, no.
I believe that in yours, they are not either.
I believe, therefore, that true wealth is related to precisely these happiest moments in our lives.
Wealth is not related to the possession of material goods. In the eyes of some, maybe. And that is the mistake.
In my opinion, true wealth is composed of these three pillars:
Relationships
Health
Freedom
And that’s what I’m going to talk about in this article.
1 — Relationships
One of the pillars of true wealth is the way you relate to people.
Not only with your family, but also with your community, and your friends.
You will never feel truly wealthy if you don’t have loved and loving people around you.
In the movie “Into the Wild, 2007,” I saw a phrase that really struck me:
Happiness is only real when shared.
I don’t know if you have seen this movie (a very good one, by the way), but this phrase alone was already worth the movie for me.
Any great achievement you obtain will only be fully realized if you can share it with people you love.
Therefore, value your relationships highly.
Also, be with people who really contribute to your growth.
Also always try to make a difference in people’s lives. And not just be one more.
The way you impact and improve people’s lives also contributes a lot to your perception of wealth.
2 — Health
The second pillar of wealth is connected to how you take care of your body and mind. Not just physical health, but well-being as a whole.
Maintaining good health through good eating habits and regular exercise is also an essential step to feel truly wealthy.
It may sound a bit sordid to say this, but ask any terminally ill patient what they value most.
Also, ask anyone who has survived cancer how they felt reborn and transferred happiness from material possessions to people and experiences.
There is no price you pay for having good health.
So take good care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
3 — Freedom
The third (and last) pillar of true wealth is freedom of choice.
Freedom to live how you want, where you want, when you want. Free from bosses, alarms, and pressure for results.
Free to follow your dreams. And free to do things you hate.
Even millionaires may not be able to because their jobs depend on their physical presence on a daily basis.
And this is where many people make misinterpret.
They think that only those who have a lot of money are financially free.
Wrong.
Financial freedom is not depending on your workforce to maintain your standard of living.
Financial freedom allows you to disconnect from work at any time and also as you want. If you need a gap year, you can get it.
The confidence that your safety net gives you is also transferred to the work and professional level.
In the end, financial freedom eliminates money-related fears at the root, and without that worry in your mind, you can focus on what you really enjoy and what matters to you. The effect is that you enjoy life more because you are not thinking about money or what it will be like in financial terms. If your mind is free to dream, it is also free to be happy.
In this way, it is little related to how much you earn and much more related to how much you accumulate and your standard of living.
If you choose to buy a car through 60-month financing, you are “tied” to a source of income to pay this financing for 5 years.
The same thing happens when you choose to buy a property financed over 30 years.
How you spend your money and maintain your standard of living is what will determine how much you need to achieve financial freedom, taking an essential step towards true wealth.
Final Thoughts
As I said at the beginning of the article, the three key components of full wealth are your relationships, your health, and your freedom.
I explained all three without practically talking about money.
Does this mean that money is not important?
Not at all!
Money is very important, as long as you know how to use it in an intelligent way, aimed at accumulating wealth, through assets that generate income for you, and not more expenses.
Knowing how to earn money will bring you one step closer to financial freedom.
Knowing how to save money will also get you closer to financial freedom.
Knowing how to invest money will also get you closer to financial freedom.
To achieve financial freedom, you will need to know how to use money wisely.
However, definitely, the other two factors (health and relationships) are also important. Maybe even more important.
There are many millionaires who work so hard that they don’t have time to dedicate to their relationships, to take care of their health, or even to travel and experience new things.
Does the fact that they have a lot of money make them truly rich?
The worst thing is to see people who don’t have a lot of money and, in addition, don’t value their health and their relationships. On top of this, they are so dedicated to their work that they have no freedom at all.
There is a big difference between working long hours and being very productive.
Working hard is one thing. Working smart is another.