Basic Principle on Health Is Wealth

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (The Bible)

Caring For Our Bodies

To do our work well and enjoy life better, we should take care of our bodies. We all know the saying "Health Is Wealth." But often we take our health for granted. We abuse our bodies by eating junk foods, not exercising regularly, not getting adequate rest, and indulging in vices like smoking and drinking. These activities affect our health. We might even be absent from work due to some discomfort or feeling of general tiredness. We are more susceptible to stresses of daily living and working if we don't take care of ourselves.

Constant exposure to the strain of living, day in and day out, makes us irritable and overtired. We might even fall prey to a host of minor infections, aches, and pains. A recent advertisement on TV captures this situation well when it promises to extend one's day giving extra energy for work and family-with the help of a vitamin capsule.

But if we keep ourselves healthy, we would minimize our sick leaves and be more productive people. We would be able to work well and even withstand periodic overtime work. We would also have a more pleasant disposition and be able to relate well with office mates. There are many benefits from good health and yet we take our health for granted.

We are responsible for our own health. We must not depend solely on doctors and medicines. Dr. Richard Grossman of Montefiore Medical Center in New York says,

The new and vigorous emphasis on the prevention of illness and disease through self-designed and self-managed changes in lifestyle habits and behavior has caused a significant shift away from the old-time dependency on the prescriptions and injunctions of the classical medical establishment. (Stanway, 1987, p.8)

Health is more than just the absence of disease. It is a state of well-being-of soundness, vigor, and vitality. Doctors in ancient China were said to be paid only when their patients were well, not when they were ill. Thus, these doctors had greater incentive to maintain their patients' health.

How do we begin to be health and fitness conscious?

• First, this is a conscious decision on our part.

• Second, discover the fundamentals of a heathy lifestyle. This means good food, fresh air, plenty of exercise, and sufficient sleep.

• Third, say "no" to vices like smoking, drinking, and drugs. Why abuse your body for temporary thrills and new adventures? Say "yes" to health and stay away from these vices.

• Fourth, get regular exercise. You don't have to enroll in a gym or an aerobics class.. You can do your stretching and simple calisthenics at the comfort of your own home. Or you can don your rubber shoes, go out for vigorous walk or jog. You can this in a suitable place in your neighborhood or near your office.

Simple Rules

Don't disregard these simple rules. From former US President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, explain,

Our personal habits are as important as the expertise of medical science in giving us a long and healthy life. By following just a few rules, such as the ones below, most of us can put ourselves in control of our life span:

1. Do not smoke.

2. Maintain recommended body weight.

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Minimize consumption of foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, sugar, and salt.

5. Do not drink alcoholic beverages excessively, and never drink when driving.

6. Fasten seat belts.

7. Remove handguns from the home.

8. Have a regular medical checkups, including blood pressure tests.

9. If symptoms of depression or unhappiness persists, seek treatment. (Carter, 1987,p.63)

The Carters add,

According to medical evidence, a fifty year old man or woman today who keeps risk factors low can expect to live eleven years longer than contemporaries who don't follow such approaches. Eleven years!

What they teach is a simple and yet profound truth that we should all take to heart. Life span is significantly affected by lifestyle patterns and habits.

Follow these rules and stay healthy. The chances are you will be able to perform your work well and withstand the rigors and pressures of your work. You may also be commended by your superiors for a job well done, and even for a life well lived.

The Wise Use of Time

All of us have only twenty-four hours a day available for our use. How come some accomplish more with their time than others? You may have an office mate who is working student and yet manages to always finish her work ahead of others. How does she do it? She manages her time well. She is careful with her time. She knows her priorities. She is always eager to finish her work on time. She knows that she has limited time compared to others. While others go home after work, she heads for school. This is how she makes the most of the limited time available to her.

If we mange our time well, we end up managing our own life well. Time management is really nothing but life management . When we use our time well, we are more likely to live a good productive life.

Time also involves a cultural element. We speak of "Filipino Time" or our nagging tendency to be late. Chronic lateness is a characteristic of agrarian societies. It is not exclusively a Filipino trait. So this problem is not unique to our people, but is also the problem of our Asian brothers in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh. However, those from the more industrialized Asian countries-Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan-value time as much as Westerners.

Westerners, are more careful with their time. This is evident in their many time and motion studies which made mass production and large assembly lines popular in manufacturing. Time efficiency is also evident in their penchant for timesaving devices like washing machines, floor polishers, and more recently, microwave ovens. Westerners even apply principles of time efficiency to eating, being preoccupied with such fast foods as, TV dinners and instant coffee.

Yes, we have lots to learn from the Westerners when it comes to time management. Remember, punctuality means respect for other people's time.

How do you mange your Time? One way to answer this question is to look for areas in your life where you are disorganized. We can ask ourselves, "What are the signs of a disorganized life?" We can think of them as early warning devices that nudge us to attention and practical action. We don't manage time well when:

1. Our space is disorganized, such as a cluttered desk or room. We have a saying-"a clean desk is a sign of clean mind." When you don't take time to arrange your desk or your room, that's a warning that all is not well with you.

2. We don't get enough sleep. If we do not mange our time well, one of the first things to be affected is our sleep. We borrow from our sleep time- either by working late or waking up early to catch up on our responsibilities. The ideal is manage time in such a way that we can enjoy our sleeping hours. You may be doing more work than is healthy for you. Too often we just comfort ourselves by saying we'll catch up on our rest later. There are also times when we go to bed early but can't sleep immediately or soundly. Instead of having sometime to unwind, we carry the tensions and excitement of the day to bed with us.

3. We miss deadlines and appointments. Have your days become filled with broken commitments and lame excuses? Are you unable to "deliver the goods?' Are you late for appointments and meetings, sometimes just rushing on from one thing to another, but not able to accomplish anything to satisfaction?

4. We turn out poor quality work. Our work is bound to be affected by our chronic mismanagement of time. Working with a cluttered desk will diminish our effectiveness. The same is true when we have not been sleeping well. When we don't meet our deadlines and appointments we tend to cut corners and quality decreases.

So the question before us is, how do we manage our time? First, we must bear in mind that the central or core principle of all personal organization of time is simple-time must be budgeted like money.

If we are careful with how we spend our money, we should do the same with our time. We wrongly think that we will not run out of time-we have plenty of that resource, especially when we are still young. We get short of money and sometimes we borrow and then pay later. The same is true with time-we borrow time from other areas of our lives, but eventually we'll have to make up for lost time.

In budgeting our money, we speak of fixed expenditures and discretionary expenses. In the same manner, we must have fixed time-our priorities, our non-negotiables (MacDonald, 1984, p.91). These are times that we should keep no matter what, such as our work time, time with family and love ones, and church. You must designate them in your schedule.

If you have a schedule, you are more likely to be effective with your time. When you don't have schedule, people will make all sorts of demands on you and your priorities. Responsibilities then become secondary to someone else's agenda. It is best to maintain a schedule that fits our priorities and responsibilities, but also allows time slots for other activities.

So what are your non-negotiables, your priorities in life?

• First, Design your schedule around these things and then allow for discretionary time.

• Second, We manage our time effectively if we know the rhythm of our maximum effectiveness. MacDonald explains- A careful study of my work habits has revealed to me an important insight. There are various tasks I accomplish best at certain times and under certain conditions. (p.87)

• Third, Make use of available planning materials such as desk calendar or personal organizers. These are a tremendous help in managing our time efficiently and effectively.

The Wise Use of Money

"Money is not everything" says a poker faced comedian. Then, breaking into a wide grin, he adds, "It is the only thing." Much of the world seems to live with this mentality. We live as if money is the only thing that's important. Many crimes have been committed in the pursuit of riches: Bank robberies, kidnappings, stashing hidden wealth, graft, corruption, and bribery. The list is endless.

We sing, "money makes the world go 'round." For some of us, money has even replaced God. They bow and say their prayers at the altar of almighty Mammon.

We need to remind ourselves that money is not everything. It cannot buy everything. It can buy a bed, but not sleep; food, but not appetite; sex, but not love; medicine, but not health; shelves full of books, but not knowledge.

There is more to life than making money. Many times modern man falls into the trap of being so busy making a living that he forgets how to live.

Do this:

1. Learn how to live simply.

2. Learn to budget our money.

3. We need to refrain from gambling.

Reflection

Life consists of choices which can be either advantageous or detrimental to us. Being good stewards of our bodies, time, and money will always bring good results. Let us be firm in saying NO to our bad habits and start managing our lives well. Let us choose to do our best each day as we manage our bodies, time, and money.

See You all, Another Time..

Godspeed...Thank you

zoni