Healthy Lifestyles Support Wealth

by Gary | Jan 9, 2010 | Content Updates

Healthy lifestyles support natural health and wealth.

Yesterday’s message began our review of seven lifestyle foundations.

That message yesterday was entitled Lifestyle Foundations and it outlined why we at the beginning of this decade we are sharing seven key messages I have sent before… but have updated… because they reflect the fundamental values we share from the lessons we learn at this site.

This second lifestyle thought looks at the profound importance of health because good health is the most valuable asset of all.

I know because there are some moments, always remembered. Peak experiences. Never forgotten spots in our existence that become crossroads that forever dictate the direction of our lives. Sharing such a memory about good health from 30 years ago, may help you gain more freedom and wealth now.

A low rumble, the crowded city below, muffled through thick foliage and vibrated over the thin ribbon of asphalt that winds, flat as a snake, through the jungle ahead.

Warm fogs swept in from the South China Sea and hung like a humid blanket in the air.

The place was Bowen Road, mid levels, Hong Kong.

The time 1973.

This narrow path flows through the middle of a thick boscage that looms above the most crowded city in the world. The green, freshness and cacophony of birds brought us here each morning. Amahs that stretched on bent iron pipe handrails, ancient wrinkled men carrying caged sparrows and all types of early risers moved like shadows against the verdant forest in their motions of Tai Chi.

Me?

I jogged down Bowen Road. 25 years old, this was the day when divorce papers were served and I also learned I was broke.

I no longer jog… but like walking and hiking… especially up and down hills. Here I am hiking up Mt. Cotacachi with my good friend, Mahananda.

We take delegates on hikes into sacred valleys on our Ecuador shaman tours.

Working from the age of 21 for a new hot company (the whole story is at https://garyascott.com/worldreports/121/) my stock options made me a paper millionaire at age 24. This unexpected wealth created bad spending habits and without the sense to sell, this portfolio was nothing but paper that became worthless. Plus the ambition and my month-at-a-time tours to Asia had ruined my marriage as well.

So that day I stumbled, more than jogged, wondering what would happen now! Everything seemed gone and for the first mile or so, I was just running and afraid.

The second mile absorbed me. The self-pity and fright began to fade. During mile three I began to sweat and the trauma literally evaporated. Finally by the fourth mile I was taking stock. My two kids were smart, strong and already used to my being away. My soon-to-be-ex had the house, two cars, the boat, all the furniture and the 14 apartments we had managed to buy. They would be okay.

So what about myself?

On the fifth mile I analyzed my position… No cash, no way to pay next month’s rent and no job. I was 12,000 miles from home (Oregon). Most of my clients were unhappy campers focusing their anger on the only Guello (foreign devil) who had not fled the city (me).

Yet as one foot plodded in front of the other, there were several things I realized that I did have. Energy and the ability to work. I had my good health.

I jogged along thinking about my many wealthy customers who had tons of cash and gobs of assets, but were mostly overweight, exhausted and consequently perpetually afraid. If anything went wrong-their business, banking or the economy and politics, they were doomed. They could not build again. Life for them was just the paper they had already accumulated. They were always bound up by that because they feared they could never last out tough times or rebuild. They were trapped by their wealth and lifestyles.

Suddenly over the last five miles I felt extremely rich and free! That was the moment when I realized the basis of real freedom is good health. Money can come and go, but if we are physically fit, with stamina and good energy we can always rebuild wealth.

That’s the moment I have never forgotten and over the past 40 years in my global travels I have kept a continual watch for new ways to be stronger, more flexible, in better shape and more immune from disease.

This search for health, vitality and longevity is one of the reasons why I really enjoy Ecuador, and our Blue Ridge Farm.

Being on the equator and traveling from place to place where the weather is good is healthy because of the seasonal regularity (the body loves ritual).

Plus the organic foods grown in the rich volcanic soils give a great boost to feeling good. Ecuador is one of three places in the world where residents have super longevity. This is where the stories of the fountain of youth began. https://garyascott.com/ecuador/378/

There are many pools with excellent volcanic mud to soak in for good health. Here I am in one on Ecuador’s coast.

Here is Chachimbiro thermal pools not far from our Ecuador hotel. This is a wonderful natural place where we take our friends and delegates to celebrate and immerse ourselves in the pure water of Ecuador. When we visit the waters of Chachimbiro early morning weekdays, we are the only people there.

Here’s one of our delegates with us enjoying the purest of Ecuador water soaking for health and longevity in the thermal springs.

The Ecuador water comes hot out of the mountains. The Ecuador water is super hot at the top, about 120 degrees. We begin there.

There is an ice cold pool next to the super hot so one can go from hot to cold. Only a few of us do that. Very few as you can see, you know who, dipping alone in the cold.

Having lived with the indigenous for years, Merri and I learned that good health and longevity come from more than just the sun and soil. The Andean people have an incredible science of living that includes very special exercises and nutrition.

We use exercises taught to us by the shamans like this Llama Walk. Here I am on one of our hand bridges in the Blue Ridge.

This is why Merri and I integrate health as well as wealth in our tours and seminars.

We include workshops on Andean diet, exercise, Amazon health supplements and healing substances and the scientific foundations of shamanic healing. You can also enjoy healing ceremonies with local shamans. This is why we added a one day Quantum Wealth workshop to our International Investing and Business course. See 21 main health ideas we cover in our one day Quantum Wealth Workshop below.