Health is True Wealth

There lived a person named Haris in a small lively town surrounded by rolling green hills and winding rivers. He was not respected for his brains or heart, but for his empire. Haris had created one of the most successful trading firms in the area when he was 35 years old. His grand house stood imposingly on the town's borders, his cars shone like mirrors, and he always looked stylishly dressed. To the world outside, it seemed as though he had achieved everything.

There was, however, one important thing he lacked—good health.

Haris was always in a state of hurry, against the clock and deadlines. He would work till late at night, skip meals, survive on coffee, and barely sleep for a couple of hours. Sleep in his eyes was a luxury for the weak, and success had to be hustled all the time. "I'll sleep when I retire as a millionaire," he'd say to his driver, stifling a yawn before yet another early morning meeting.

And then came a day that would change the course of all things. A burning sensation was felt in Haris' chest. He attributed it to indigestion and went on with his hectic schedule. But the pain never let up—loosening its hold every time but returning harder and more remorselessly than before. Finally, on a stormy Thursday morning, Haris collapsed at his workstation. His panicky employees rushed him to the hospital, where the doctors told him he had suffered a mild heart attack.

Lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to machines by wires and tubes, Haris was overcome with a sense of fear—something he hadn't felt in years. It was not fear of business loss or money loss. It was the fear of losing life. At that moment, he realized that no matter how much money, it would not be able to reverse the harm he had done to his body or purchase a fresh healthy heart.

Lying next to him in the hospital bed was an old man named Mr. Rafiq. Taking in the concern on Haris's face, he calmly said, "You resemble a man with a troubled heart."

"I've been pursuing riches like it's everything," Haris confessed. "But I neglected my health, the very essence that keeps us alive."

Mr. Rafiq smiled in silence. "I was once like you. I worked day and night, never relaxing, missing out on family time, and believing I was gaining. Until the day I found it hard to climb a staircase. That's when I understood—health is real wealth. Everything else is constructed on it."

Those very words echoed in Haris's mind. There he lay in the recovery room, vowing to himself: if he made it through that hospital, he would change his life—not just his schedule, but his priorities.

Upon release from hospital, Haris took some aggressive steps. He delegated most of his work to a capable manager, started waking up at morning to walk in the park, and hired a nutritionist to advise him on what to eat. He went to yoga classes and promised to sleep for a minimum of seven hours every night.

His friends mocked him initially. "What's next? Meditating under a tree?" one of them joked. Haris smiled and said, "No, I'm taking care of the most valuable investment I have—myself."

In a few months, he was healthy. He didn't need coffee anymore to stay awake. His energy levels returned, his mood lifted, and even his relationships improved. He made up with his parents, whom he had been unconsciously neglecting for years. He began mentoring young businesspeople—teaching them not just how to grow a business, but how to live in harmony.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Haris was strolling in the park when he saw a child running with a kite. A burst of laughter left his lips—untrammeled and untroubled. Fresh air, warm sun, and for the first time in years, he felt wealthy.

He sat on a nearby bench, pulled out his diary, and wrote in block letters:

"Health is not a part of life—it is the foundation of life." Without health, nothing else is worth anything."

From that day forward, Haris was a crusader for health and wellness throughout his community. He sponsored free health screenings, paid for community fitness programs, and spoke on mental balance and health in schools. His journey was a call to change to others.

Years later, the question was asked to him by a journalist, "What would be your greatest achievement?"

Smiling peacefully, Haris replied,

"Not my business, nor cars or my house. My biggest success was being aware in time that health is wealth. The rest is bonus.".