Time, money, and health are the foundation of all happiness and success. Essentially, all other things we pursue are dependent on having enough of each at varying degrees. And health is the only one that can help you manage the other two.

Let’s explore some accepted mathematical references to help prove that statement.

Time Equals Money

That comparison does not literally mean that the amount of time you have equals the amount of money you have. We all have 24 hours in a day, but we certainly don’t all have the same amount of money available to us at the end of those 24 hours.

Think about it, you work, you get paid. You don’t work, you don’t get paid. And if you invest your time right, you can invest it once and get paid over and over again. But you still have to invest some amount of time at least once, whether it’s a job, a business, or even playing the lottery.

Wealth Equals Time Plus Money

Someone can be rich or well off, but if they have no time available to enjoy it, never get to see their family, or have time to pursue their hobbies, they are not really considered wealthy. This isn’t about materialism; wealth is when you have both the money you need and the time available to do what you want.

So, Where Does Health Come In?

In order for health to equal wealth, we simply need to prove that it creates more time. Time that can be used to earn money or invest in increasing our earning potential.

Health creates time in three basic ways:

Short-term time: This is what we would normally call energy. The energy to wake up, the energy to get moving, and the energy to keep going. We need a diet and exercise pattern that allows for energy efficiency at the cellular level, hormonal balance for mood and sleep, and a strong immune system to prevent acute illnesses.

Mid-Term Time: An unhealthy lifestyle accumulates to create chronic conditions within the body that could have been reversed with early changes, or prevented altogether. These conditions become a thief of our time in the form of treatment and money spent on healthcare costs, which we previously invested time to accumulate.

Long-term Time: Simply put, we lose time when we lose life. An estimated 80% of cardiovascular disease, the number one killer, is preventable. We can add major time to our later years by the minor choices we make in the early ones.

Health Truly Is Wealth

A healthy lifestyle means truly maintaining habits, practices, and routines that are based on physiological well-being and not emotional satisfaction. Don’t overlook your daily health habits because, unlike money, where you see an immediate change in your bank balance, or time where you are constantly aware of deadlines, health silently diminishes over time when it’s not wisely managed. And our bodies don’t allow for returns, refunds, or reschedules.