When we lack certain things, the joy of living is diminished. In some instances we may become severely distressed and even incapacitated by such lack. When we are sick, in other words, when we lack good health, it is usually not a happy circumstance and we do all we can to regain our health. When someone is poor, that is, when they lack money and material possessions, life is not very enjoyable. Such a person is not able to live the way they wish or do the things they want. Poverty oppresses and incapacitates. As individuals and as nations, we all are desirous to distance ourselves from poverty.
Likewise, life is not so full and joyful when we fail to find happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in our work. (By relationships, I mean relationship with God and relationship with our fellow human beings). The deep desires we have to commune with deity and to love and be loved by others are emotional needs we are born with. And so we find that human beings experience want in three identifiable areas. Life requires us to cope with physical, material and spiritual wants.
The saying, "health is wealth" implies that someone in good health can be said to have physical wealth. When a person has a lot of money and material possessions we describe him or her as being materially wealthy. In the same vein, when someone finds happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in their work, they can be said to possess spiritual wealth. And this brings us to the concept of total wealth. To have total wealth is to be completely free from any form of lack, be it physical, material or spiritual. This is the holistic model of success. A person is truly wealthy only when he or she has gained total wealth.
In general, people tend to be primarily concerned with their material wellbeing. Hence they focus on striving for material wealth. But thanks to Jane Fonda, the American keep fit buff. In the last few decades, Americans and others around the globe have realized the need to actively pursue wealth of the physical kind. There is now an awareness of the health risks inherent in the sedentary life style engendered by technological advancement. These days, being healthy is not just about being free from sickness. One has to be physically fit. Lots of people are now adopting the proactive approach of exercising regularly to maintain good health and keep fit.
However, acquiring spiritual wealth is one goal most people cannot be said to be striving hard to attain. And to think that this ought to be our first priority. When someone gains spiritual wealth, they are guaranteed to also gain material and physical wealth. If you have any reservations about this assertion, then listen to the wise counsel of one of the world