Rich Moments
M Alan Roberts

Every morning before the first bird sings, before the first rooster crows, there they go. I can hear them as they drive past my country home. The early risers - off to work. They want to be the first to arrive. They are probably the same ones that stay latest into the evening. They are the motivated; the leaders. I see into their minds.

As they are driving too fast, especially for 5:30 in the morning, their thoughts are centered on production, on recognition. Being a top producer repetitively comes with the promise of huge rewards from the company. It can make you rich - if you're good enough. Competition reigns in their blood and they endeavor constantly to become and remain the "best."

Many times, there's no time left over for relaxation, exercise, proper eating or even a pleasant conversation with their families. As time passes, as they continue to dedicate themselves first to their careers, their health begins to fail them. At first, it is subtle, hardly even noticeable - some indigestion, irritability, headaches, maybe even some lightheadedness. A few years later, the arteries are beginning to clog from prepared foods, sedentary lifestyles, lacking socialization and heavy loads of never-ending stress. Some years later, when these leaders have almost earned the right to retire wealthy, they are too burdened with a multitude of health problems to ever begin thinking of enjoying it.

Being hospitalized is expensive. As their families visit them each day throughout the increasingly elongated stays, they are all wearing looks of genuine concern - for their impending loss that will soon occur, and with the questions of financial survival. The savings that the production leaders managed to build are rapidly funneled away into the grossly criminal health care system. After a few months of treatment for the terminally ill, that nest egg is just a dried-out, broken shell.

There's certainly nothing wrong with being a motivated leader. There's also not a thing wrong with looking out for one's self as the years progress. Even the AMA admits that over 80% of all preventable diseases are stress related. Stress is a personal choice. Attitude still remains the king of happiness. If we will ourselves to make stressors bounce from us, instead of allowing them to invade our cores, then we have successfully enabled ourselves to live long, prosperous lives. All the money, bonuses, incentives and stock options in the world are totally valueless if they only end up in the health care system after decades of enthusiastic effort.

Old adages like "Take some time to smell the roses." and "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." are rarely heard any longer. The current generation and those that will follow increasingly lose touch with the wisdom of their elders. They are simply too busy to bother paying attention. What use do they have for this outdated information in their worlds of advanced technology and innovative developments? They blow off the knowledge that has been well-earned over time and give heed only to modern versions of "truth".

Soon, a new day will be upon us again. The Sun will rise and the birds will sing. The highways will fill with congested traffic - motorists cursing the price of gas, afraid to use their air conditioning. The motivated leaders will already have arrived at their given destinations, working hard at the tasks of developing their first coronary attack - their nest eggs building just a little slower than their potential for the onset of disease. As their loving families are at home basking in the comforts of fleeting wealth, they are unable to discern that they are in fact under direct attack. They fail to see that their bread winners are dying every day right before their eyes.

Take the time to enjoy your every day, not just your mental images of the future that dwell in your mind. The past is but memories and the future is but imagination. The present moment, this one right now, what we really have to develop and enjoy. Live each second to the fullest, and allow the goodness of life to permeate your soul. Witness yourself in all that you do, and never fail to separate the rest of the world from that which is personal to you and yours. Maximize your understanding and enjoyment of each moment that is granted to you and you will grow vastly richer than even the most well-paid CEO.