Most people would begin to list property or bank accounts or RRSPs if you asked them to list their assets. They would list material things that can be used as collateral for bank loans and credit. People might also allude to their physical health, their personality and their good looks as personal assets. All of these are important, of course. However, there is one asset that each of us must cultivate throughout our life in order for us to maintain ourselves. This most important asset is our mental health.
We don’t often consider the quality of our mental health in our everyday life, but it affects everything we do and everything we think about. Our world is coloured by the status of our mental health. Without good mental health we would be robbed of our enjoyment no matter what riches lay before us. Without good mental health we would not be able to appreciate our quality of life.
We need to consider our mental health each and every day. We need to take strides to maintain our mental health through good personal care, good relationships and good humor. We must maintain this important asset as we would maintain any other asset. We need to take in good food. We need to read good books and be among people who love and value us. We need to find spirituality we can identify with and we need to practice peace toward ourselves and others. We need to nurture our mental health with kindness and tolerance.
As we practice these attitudes and behaviours we will find that we are ensuring the best asset that we have – our good mental health.