It seems completely unrelated. However, once you understand how they function, you will be able to thread both parallels with similar principles and approaches.
What has Strength to do with your Financial status? Here, I’m not going to discuss how to get strong, or get rich, but rather how having them will benefit you, along with some negative aspect. Most of us would have experienced it before and we know how bad the situation would be if we were to be caught unprepared.
Do you agree that a person who has the financial capability can respond to financial emergency circumstances instantly (e.g. Loss of income due to COVID-19) and plan the next move, instead of scrambling for financial aid to overcome that emergency?
Let’s say put that into an example – you are on a holiday trip, and you have gotten travel insurance in place. You fell sick and landed in the local hospital with a huge bill. You called your insurance company, and they assured you that they will cover the bills for you, BUT you need to pay for it first. Are you able to pay the medical bills upfront? Ever wonder what happens if you are unable to do that?
In a parallel universe, a person who more physically prepared can react better to unknown circumstances. Picture this – You are now waiting for your flight comfortably at the gate. You suddenly you realized 2 flights are flying to the same destination, and you are at the wrong gate. The other gate is at the other end of the terminal, and the gate will close soon. Are you able to run fast enough, to reach the gate in the nick of time?
The above incidents involving both financial and physical emergency did indeed happen to us before.
We were in a Basic Survival Course in Croatia. To access to our ‘dwelling’, we trekked a good 3km into the wilderness, totally inaccessible by any form of vehicles, except helicopter. While collecting firewood, Jasmine’s right eye was penetrated by a loose branch. She was in excruciating pain, and the only way to get help was to visit the local hospital in a nearby city. With double vision and headache, 3km out of the vegetation never felt so far. A person with a lower level of physical ability will have no reserve to maintain a straight mind and a focus on the task on hand. At the hospital, she receives a medical bill to be paid before treatment.
Well, all that said, if we are not well off, we would not have the money to travel to Europe, and if we are unfit, we will never join such rough-it-out adventure trip, right? Haha.
Now, what could be possibly bad about having strong financial and/or physical ability? You may have guessed it right – Over-reliance.
Parents with strong earning power may indulge their children’s material needs and wants and in the process, neglect their emotional needs. And, you don’t need an expert to tell you that it is no good for the development of the child.
For a person who over-rely on brute strength, might find it a challenge to do tasks that require finer motor skills. Is someone who can do 2x bodyweight squat able to jump and balance delicately on a rail like a parkour practitioner?
So, is having more money and strength good or bad?
In a nutshell, having more money gives us more choices in lives, and on how to allocate our funds. Having more strength and good health gives us the capacity to pursue our goals with valour. Having a decent financial status allows us to enjoy some finer things in life after the necessities are taken care of. Likewise, a weak and sickly person may only worry about not seeing the sun the next day, and someone who is living from hand to mouth can only worry about how to be less hungry. The good thing? Both health and finances can be improved over time with diligence. As a summary, more money and being strong gives more choices and it is up to us to use them wisely. Without them, we don’t even have the choice to use them wisely at all!
