Your success depends mainly on what you think of yourself and whether you believe in yourself.
—William J. H. Boetcker
When we hear the words “invest” or “investing” our minds naturally go to finance. We might picture investment bankers in nice suits shouting out numbers on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Or we may think of an entrepreneur in the family who presented us with an investment opportunity where we could “get in on the ground floor.” Investing hits close to home for many people who invest part of their paychecks on a regular basis in order to prepare for retirement.
I’m not an economist or a financial consultant, but the concept for investing is pretty simple: The more you invest, the longer you invest, and the better you invest, the better the return on your investment. Another way to say it is this: The more you put in now, you’ll get that and so much more back later. The benefits of wise investing are numerous—financial security, college tuition for your kids or grandkids, a comfortable retirement, the chance to do new things, like travel, and (Dave’s favorite) golf, golf, golf! It’s not easy—investing requires discipline and sacrifice—but it pays off in the end.
As important as all of that is, I believe there is a type of investment that is even more important than financial investment. And that investment is taking the daily opportunity to invest in yourself. Your health, your peace of mind, your personal growth, your joy and happiness—these are all things impacted by how little or how much you choose to invest in your own life.
And much like financial investing, the more you invest in yourself, the longer you invest in yourself, and the better you invest in yourself all determine what kind of return you are going to get on your investment. If you’ll be disciplined now to invest properly in your health and well-being, the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits will come pouring in. That’s why “Invest in Yourself” is one of the best ways you can make every day better. It helps you today… but it also helps you in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!
I want to give you some very specific ways to invest in yourself, but first let me ask this question:
It’s really pretty perplexing. If we recognize the importance of investing financially, why don’t we invest in the rest of our lives—physically, emotionally, and spiritually? I meet so many people who are not taking care of themselves (and for many years I was one of them). They’re going through life weak, exhausted, and discouraged, just trying to keep their heads above water. Their lives would be so much better if they would simply invest in themselves. Let me share with you a few reasons why people (maybe even you) neglect to properly take care of themselves.
1. We may feel that we are being selfish if we spend time and money on ourselves. But the truth is that if we don’t take care of ourselves, eventually we won’t have anything to give to anyone else. The best gift you can give to your family and friends is a healthy you.
2. We don’t have the proper information. For many years, we’ve been inundated with prepackaged, processed food, fast foods, fad diets, no information, or misinformation. All of this has left us with a lot of confusion about what is really healthy and what isn’t. And it’s not just food—for years we’ve been sold shallow self-help books and questionable “instant success” schemes that prey upon our desire for quick fixes and require no effort on our part. What we really need is proper information that gives us real answers for our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
3. We’ve become too busy to exercise. Until recently, exercise was something we got plenty of during the course of an ordinary day. People walked a lot, worked hard, and sweated the toxins out of their bodies. But today, if we are going to get any exercise, many of us have to book it into our schedules and do it purposely. The problem is we are busy with other things that instead of investing in our bodies, we fill up the calendar with other activities, many of which are stressful and actually zap the energy we do have. Our calendars are getting bigger and bigger while our bodies are getting weaker and weaker.
4. We’ve allowed advertising and media to damage our body image. In order to sell their products, advertisers give us mixed messages. On one hand, they inundate us with messages of dangerous, unattainable images of what beauty should look like in order to sell their skincare products, clothing, and other accessories. At the same time, the makers of unhealthy, prepackaged food spend advertising dollars so we’ll buy their products. With all of this conflicting information, many people don’t know what to think about body image. We need to reset our internal picture of what a healthy person should look like, and not be so quick to believe every ad we see.
5. We’ve allowed our lives to become too fast-paced. Because of the incredible pressures of juggling career and parenthood, paying steep mortgages and inflated bills, and burning the proverbial candle at both ends on most days, it is very difficult to invest in healthy living. It’s much easier to put off the workout and grab a cheeseburger on the run. It’s a daily temptation to sleep less in order to catch up on paperwork or something else work-related. The sad thing is that we are letting our busy schedule squeeze out everything that once gave us pleasure. Life is a gift and is meant to be joyful—we should slow down and enjoy that gift.
6. We’re trying to do it alone. When we don’t have a good support system or godly foundation to keep our spirits high, it becomes easy to slip into bad habits rooted in loneliness and discouragement. We need to spend regular time in fellowship with God, asking Him to give us wisdom to live a healthy life, and remember that we don’t have to go someplace special to talk to God, because He is everywhere all the time and is always excited to hear from us. We also need to have the right people around us, who will encourage us and speak up if they see us getting out of balance. Great friendships and compassionate support can be the difference between healthy and unhealthy living.
7. We have forgotten our own value. I believe this is the biggest reason we neglect to take care of ourselves. If you don’t understand how important you are to God, taking care of yourself seems pointless. Reminding yourself of your value and your place in God’s plan is very important. You are with you all the time, and if you don’t value yourself, you’re not likely to enjoy the day.
We all understand that we have relationships with other people, but did it ever occur to you that you have a relationship with yourself? Think about it: You spend more time with yourself than anyone else. You are the person you can never get away from. At some time in your life, you probably went to school with another student or worked with someone whom you didn’t really get along with. That can be frustrating, but at least they didn’t come home with you each night. You can’t get away from yourself, not even for one second, so it’s very important that you have peace with yourself and value the person God created you to be.
It doesn’t matter what society or the culture says about your worth—the only thing that matters is what God says! The widely respected Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard once told a parable about two thieves who broke into a jewelry store. Instead of stealing the jewelry, they simply switched all the price tags. They put the high-priced tags on the cheaper jewelry and the low-priced tags on the most valuable gems. And for several weeks not a single person noticed. People paid outrageous prices for the cheaper jewelry and rock-bottom prices for the finest jewels. Kierkegaard’s point was pretty obvious: We live in a world where someone has switched the price tags.
• The world may label you as worthless, but God labels you as His masterpiece (see Ephesians 2:10).
• The world may label you as an accident, but God labels you as fearfully and wonderfully made (see Psalm 139:14).
• The world may label you as rejected, but God labels you as chosen (see Colossians 3:12) and deeply loved (see Jeremiah 31:3).
When you feel worthless, rejected, inferior, or insignificant, all you have to do is switch the price tags. That label may be what someone said about you or how society makes you feel about yourself, but it’s not what God says. And God’s opinion is the only thing that matters. You’re significant, you’re valuable, and you’re worth the investment, because God says you are!
We must come to a place where we value ourselves, not out of pride or arrogance, but out of confidence in who we are in Christ. We should be able to say, “I know God loves me, so I can love and value what God chooses to love and value. I don’t love everything I do, but I accept myself because God accepts me.” We can learn to become spiritually mature enough to understand that even when God shows us a change that is needed in us, He is doing it because He loves us and wants the best for us. We can say, “I believe God is changing me daily, but during this process, I will not devalue what God values. I’ll accept myself because God accepts me. Jesus sees what I am right now, but He also sees what I am becoming, and He loves me in every stage of my growth and maturity as His child.”
As you begin to see yourself as God sees you—someone who’s valued and cherished—your view of yourself will begin to change. You’ll see yourself as a person who is worth investing in.
Now that you know that you’re valuable and worth investing in, let me give you some specific ways you can do that. These may be things you’ve never thought of, or they may just be reminders of things you know are important. Either way, let this list serve as motivation to start investing in yourself—spirit, soul, and body.
You can start investing in yourself today by:
• Deciding to get some daily exercise. Walking, jogging, swimming, lifting weights, playing sports with the kids—however you choose to exercise, make a plan and stick to it.
• Getting the proper amount of sleep. If you can’t wake up any later because of morning responsibilities, be disciplined enough to go to bed earlier. A proper amount of rest is crucial in taking care of your body.
• Nurturing and developing your mind. Read books, be creative, increase your vocabulary, keep your brain active. Find ways to stimulate your mind and increase your learning.
• Eliminating destructive, unhealthy habits. No more excuses—today can be the day you finally quit that habit that is ruining your health and stealing your peace.
• Beginning a new, healthy habit. The best way to quit a bad habit is to start a good habit! What is something that you find interesting that could be a new healthy part of your life? Laughing more, gardening, walking your dog, eating more organic food—get creative!
• Changing your diet. There is so much information available these days about the nutritional value of the food you’re eating. This wasn’t always the case, but thankfully, we’re getting better and better information about our food and various nutritional options. If we want to feel and look better, it’s essential that we are educated in what we need to eat, and that we are aware of what we are eating.
• Pursuing your skills and developing your talents. Find the things that you are naturally good at, spend time practicing them, and get even better. If you put time and effort into developing the skills God has given you, you’ll be surprised at the doors of opportunity that will open for you.
• No longer doing things that steal your time and destroy your joy. We don’t always get to do everything we want to do; we all have duties and obligations that require our attention. However, many times we allow unnecessary things to steal our time. If there is something that is causing you pressure and wasting your time, get rid of it. Life is too short to waste it on things that are unproductive and stressful. Find out what you truly love doing, and make sure to put time into your schedule to do it.
• Building your confidence. I’ve found that a confident person is a happier person. Study what God has to say about you. Surround yourself with people who will encourage and inspire you. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. These are all keys to confidence.
These are just a few of the many, many ways you can invest in yourself. As you read these, you may have even come up with a few more ideas of your own. Whatever you choose to do, remember that investment takes discipline and even some sacrifice. It’s not always easy at first and it may take time to develop these new, healthy habits, but there is one thing you can be sure about: A good investment in yourself always pays off in the long run. God wants you to invest in you!
• Make an investment in yourself!
• We often fail to take care of ourselves because we don’t see ourselves the way that God sees us.
• Don’t allow a busy, fast pace of life keep you from taking the time needed to exercise, rest, and eat properly.
• Accepting yourself and seeing value in yourself is not prideful or arrogant; it’s simply realizing that you are a child of God. Because He values you, you should value yourself.
• Investing in yourself will take discipline and sacrifice, but it is worth it in the long run.