The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.
—Arthur Schopenhauer
Of course, our job is to provide for our kids. To work hard. To spend wisely. To save judiciously. To put away some money, if not for their future, then to have the financial wherewithal to make sure their needs are met and our family is protected in case of emergency. But all that work on our financial health will take us only so far if we don’t pay similar attention to our mental health.
Wealth comes in forms other than money. Charlamagne tha God, a bestselling author and host of the radio show The Breakfast Club, has helped popularize the concept of mental wealth. Meaning: your sanity, your well- being, your happiness. It’s really hard to be a good parent, to truly provide, when you’re stretched way too thin, when you’re depressed, when you haven’t cultivated the friendships and resources critical to maintaining good mental health.
Just as you seek to protect your financial wealth, make sure you are protecting your mental wealth. Don’t feel bad spending money on a therapist. Or a book. Or even deciding to pass on that overtime opportunity because you’re just too tired. Your sanity, your clarity, your well-being—these things are essential. It’s not selfish to take care of them. It’s selfless. Because your job is to be the best parent you can be. And that is going to require a full store of mental wealth.