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"There is no more profitable investment than investing in yourself. It is the best
investment you can make; you can never go wrong with it. It is the true way to improve yourself to be the best version of you and lets you be able to best serve those around you.”—Roy T. Bennett
Throughout my entire life, the most expensive item I have ever owned is me.
I say this not because human life is the highest value, but because literally, the most money I invested was in myself. And it pays off every single time, one way or the other. I want to share with you all the ways you can invest in yourself and how it pays off.
One more thing before I start. What I learned and saw, especially from the time I started this book, is that you might own a lot of things, but disaster might come, and you can be left with nothing but yourself. What then will help you to build yourself up again? The answer is everything that you invested in yourself, things that don’t require a bag, luggage, or car in order
to take with you. The bonus chapter will explain more about what I mean.
Now, you can find numerous articles on ways to invest in yourself. But most of those
articles miss a few items. My list below is the easiest to remember.
1. Body
Your body is your temple, so it's important to take care of it. It is difficult to feel happy, be successful, or enjoy life when your body is sick, so investing in your health should be #1 on your list.
There is no secret to it: eat whole, nutritious foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep,
and follow a daily routine.
Here are a few ways to invest in your physical health:
Eat a healthy diet. Consume less sugar. Watch your calorie intake. With all the delicious drinks available to us in our modern world, a lot of times we don’t think about how much sugar and calories are in just one drink. Take this example: Smoothie King The HulkTM Strawberry: A large (40 oz) contains 1,928 calories, 64 g fat (26 g saturated fat), 250 g sugar, and 50 g protein. I know these numbers might not mean much at first glance. But put it this way: I need about 1900 calories to maintain my current weight, considering my type of work and activity level. I am 5’9’’ and weigh 160 lb. For 1900 calories, in one day I can eat a turkey and cheese omelet, toast with butter, pasta with chicken, beef stir fry, and peanut butter and banana on toast… or I could drink one smoothie. Eating nutritious foods gives your body the energy it needs to function properly and helps to reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
Exercise regularly. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy like marathons. Of course, feel free to challenge yourself. But even simple walking, yoga, dancing, gardening, swimming, or fun group classes will keep you moving, energized, and happy. Pick something that you enjoy so that you will stick with it more easily. I don’t always feel like exercising, but I will get up and do it anyway so I can check off my “body investment” box for the day. If you don’t know how to start by yourself, hire a trainer. You will get double the motivation when you put skin in the game to have someone screaming in your ear that you can do it just one more time.
Get enough sleep. Most adults need around 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Make sleep a priority in your daily routine. You know when a child doesn’t have a routine, and they get cranky and whiny? Now, believe it or not, routines continue to work for us throughout our lives. If our schedule is all over the place, we will be cranky, stressed, depressed, unhappy, and the list goes on. But having some kind of structure will reduce your stress level and keep you happier overall. You know I am all about schedules, routines, and habits because they are easy, and they work!
Live stress-free. Chronic stress can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health. Find healthy ways to relieve stress, such as exercise, breath work, yoga, meditation, or spending time in nature.
2. Mind
Your mind is a powerful tool, and it's important to keep it sharp. Here I can give you a long list (now you know that mindset work is kind of my thing…):
Learn something new. I hate to see a woman or a man who cares about their body so much and looks fantastic, but when it comes to conversation, has nothing to say. They are empty…. So how come we fuel our body, but we don’t fuel our brain? The average American reads or listens to one book a year. Just one. Because “we don’t have time,” but we do have time to pointlessly watch stupid reels or videos on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and whatever comes next. A 2021 statistic shows that we spend 145 minutes a day on social media on average. Most people read about 40 to 50 pages an hour… so I guess you don’t have time to learn and grow…. Important! Don’t forget to implement what you learn. There is nothing good about knowing it if you don’t use it to better your life or the lives of others. If you don’t use your new knowledge, you will soon forget it.
Challenge yourself. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to try new things is a great way to grow and learn.
Be creative. Once a year, I would pick a project that I had never done before, something creative, and I would do it for a few months during the slow season at work, when I had more time for creativity. I have completed a lot of different, interesting projects. Most were some type of handicraft. But I never guessed that my next creative project would be book writing. So create something, anything, even if you think you have no talent for it. You might discover something you never expected from yourself. You don’t know if you will be good at it until you try.
Travel. Get out and discover something new outside of your usual environment. We get our inspiration from the world around us. Seeing new places, learning about new cultures, and trying new things will widen your imagination and open new horizons. Don’t think about buying the next most expensive pair of shoes, but think instead about how to plan your next trip to places you have never seen. I can 100% confirm this one after visiting 21 countries and still trying to add a new place to my list every year. Don’t limit yourself to one country. There are 194 more to see.
Hire a life coach. It is no secret that most successful people have a fitness trainer and a life coach. That is why successful people keep getting even more successful—they know which tools to use. After only a few sessions, you will start looking at the world with new eyes, and some kind of awakening will begin inside you.
3. Soul/ Spirit
Do you believe? I don’t mean in God, but do you believe that there is something higher than us people and this earth? My belief could be different than that of Christians or anyone else.
I believe that there is a higher power and that it is all ONE and the same, so it doesn’t matter how you call it. There is no right or wrong religion. That higher power has had different names and faces throughout human history. I believe as well that we are all connected, and we all resonate with the entire universe, not just our planet, but it goes beyond into what we cannot understand. I know that knowledge comes to some people, and they are called to share it with others.
Find a purpose in life. Having a sense of purpose gives your life meaning and direction.
Find your belief. Did you know that in the worst of times, when we have no control over the situation, so many of us, even those who never believed in God, start to pray? Why is that? I know I did it when my mother was getting emergency heart surgery. I prayed as hard as I could. When war started in Ukraine on February 24th 2022, up to the time I am writing these words, I prayed more than I ever did. We need someone to look out for us and to be able to hand over our pain and our worries for someone or something to handle.
Practice gratitude. Taking the time to appreciate the good things in your life can help to boost your mood and reduce stress.
Keep track of your feelings and energy. Did you know that you can train yourself to have positive feelings and emotions? By doing that, your energy output to the world changes, and the world changes with you. So it is up to you to shape the kind of world we are all living in, and for that, we all need to take responsibility.
Give back to others. I heard this once, and I thought how powerful it is: “When you hold onto material things so hard with your fists closed, there is nothing else that you can take, because your hands are full. But if you open your hands and share with others your blessings, your hands will be open, and you may receive more blessings.” We are made to give and to care for others, and these are part of our spiritual journey too.
4. Relationships
Your relationships are one of the most important things in your life. Here are a few ways to invest in your relationships:
Make time for the people you love. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but it's important to make time for the people who are important to you. Schedule regular time to spend with your loved ones, and be fully present when you're with them.
Be supportive and understanding. Everyone goes through tough times, so it's important to be supportive and understanding when someone needs you.
Be forgiving. It is essential to cultivate self-forgiveness and extend the same to others for their errors. Clinging to grudges and resentments can have negative effects on our mental and emotional health. Acknowledging our mistakes and learning from them requires courage and wisdom. However, it also calls for compassion and empathy to forgive ourselves and others. Effectively practicing forgiveness can create opportunities for growth, healing, and stronger relationships.
Communicate openly and honestly. Communication is essential for any healthy relationship. Be open and honest with yourself first and with others about your thoughts, feelings, and needs.
Investing in yourself is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall well-being and quality of life. Taking care of your body, mind, soul, and relationships makes you more likely to be happy, healthy, and productive.
Here are some additional tips for investing in yourself:
Set goals. What do you want to achieve in your life? Once you know what you want, you can start to make a plan to achieve it.
Be patient. Investing in yourself takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Just keep moving forward and celebrate your successes along the way.
Be kind to yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and has setbacks. When something goes wrong, don't beat yourself up about it. Just learn from your mistakes and move on.
Investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can make. It's an investment that will pay off for the rest of your life.