Chapter Content
Okay, so, let's talk about something I've been thinking a lot about lately, and that's mental wealth. It's kind of a loaded term, I guess, but stick with me. Basically, it's about having a really, really solid foundation for your mental well-being, you know?
And the big question that really kicks it off is: What would your ten-year-old self say to you today? Think about that for a second. Like, what would that little kid, full of dreams and, you know, probably a lot less baggage, think about what you're doing now? Pretty powerful, right?
So, the concept of mental wealth rests on, like, three main pillars. The first one is purpose. And it's not just about having, like, some grand, you know, earth-shattering life goal. It's more about having clarity. It's about defining a unique vision for yourself and really focusing on what creates meaning for *you*. And, like, aligning your decisions, both short-term and long-term, with that meaning. It's, frankly, the unwillingness to live someone else's life, you know? That's a big deal.
Then there's growth. It's basically the hunger to constantly progress and change. And that hunger's gotta be driven by an understanding that, like, your intelligence, your abilities, your character, they're not fixed. They're dynamic. You can always be improving.
And finally, the third pillar is space. And I think this one is so underrated. It's the creation of, like, actual stillness and solitude. Time to just think, to reset, to wrestle with those big questions that are nagging at you, and to just recharge. It’s also really about having the ability and, more importantly, the *willingness* to listen to your inner voice. It’s so easy to drown that out with everything going on, you know?
So, there's a "Mental Wealth Score" you can kinda give yourself. It's pretty simple. Just a bunch of statements. And for each one, you rate yourself from zero to four. Zero means "strongly disagree", and four is "strongly agree".
Here are the statements. First, "I regularly embrace a childlike curiosity." Gotta keep that spark alive, right? Second, "I have a clear purpose that provides daily meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making." That goes back to that first pillar. Third, "I pursue growth and consistently chase my full potential." The second pillar. Fourth, "I have a fundamental belief that I am able to continuously change, develop, and adapt." This one is huge, super important. And fifth, "I have regular rituals that allow me to create space to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge." The third pillar.
Add those scores up, and you get your baseline. It's a number between zero and twenty. So, what do you *do* with that number?
Well, you can set some goals. Think about what Mental Wealth Score you want to achieve within, like, a year. And then break that down into two or three checkpoints, things you need to hit along the way to actually reach that goal.
And then, what are the two or three outcomes that you really want to avoid on that journey? The "anti-goals," if you will. Being aware of what you *don't* want is just as important as knowing what you *do* want.
And finally, what are, like, two or three things you can actually *do*, tangible systems, that you can implement to make progress toward your goal score?
So, if you want a, like, one-week jump start to getting all of this going...there's this exercise called "ikigai". I might be mispronouncing that, sorry. It’s a great way to explore and uncover your purpose. It’s about how it might connect to your current life endeavors.
You make three separate lists. The first is what you love. The activities that are life-giving, that bring you joy. Like, what makes you genuinely happy?
The second list is what you are good at. The activities that feel effortless to you. The things that you just naturally excel at.
And the third list is what the world needs. Think about *your* world, whatever that is. And what does that world need from you? How can you contribute?
And then you try to identify the overlap of those three lists. Where do they all connect? That's usually a pretty good starting point for exploring and uncovering your higher-order life purpose. It's a process, you know? It's not something that just comes to you overnight. But it's a worthwhile journey.