When questions like this rattle around in my head, they won’t generally leave me alone until I investigate deeper. I started with several dictionaries and found the expected definitions of wealth: “value of accumulated assets” and such. By “value,” it was clear that these dictionaries were suggesting that wealth was about having “enough” or an “ample” supply of goods and money. That’s a definition of wealth still held by many of our companies, corporations, and even whole nations.

But my questions kept rattling: What if our quest for “enough” went beyond merely monetary, material things? Digging deeper, I found this definition of wealth:

The quality of profuse abundance; “she has a wealth of talent.”

This meaning was attractive — it sounded so much more inclusive. While only a small number of the world’s people truly enjoy monetary wealth, all of us have the possibility to tap into our wealth of talents, inner gifts, and unique perspectives that enrich life.

I wondered why I had to dig deeper to find the non-monetary facets of wealth, and figured that our recent emphasis on material gain had changed a very ancient concept. The etymology of the word “wealth” is instructive here. It comes from the Middle English wele or “well-being.” Before taking on connotations of financial riches, wealth meant the welfare of people; their general happiness and joy. Now we’re talking! The questions in my head finally began to quiet.

As if to punctuate these thoughts, an advance copy of a new book, Living Richly, arrived in the mail from a colleague. The book spoke to upper-level inheritors — those with enough wealth that they would never need to work for money their whole lives — and it spoke not about wrangling money, but about achieving our potential as human beings.

And then, coincidentally (it would seem my other friends couldn’t resist joining in the dialogue that had started so innocently at our local coffee shop), a good friend sent me an article about the late jazz guitarist Johnny Smith. In his latter years, Smith said:

“I’ve realized everything in life that I ever wanted to do. Fortunately, getting rich wasn’t one of them. I’ve always believed that wealth is not measured in money — wealth is measured in friends and good experiences.”

Judging from the positive influences he created throughout the music world and its fans, I believe Mr. Smith was on to something there. For my part, I’ll sign up to the quest to reinvent the word “wealth,” returning to its essence: the drive for a deeper level of well-being.

Photo by Mrs Logic

After my usual obsessive research, comparing countless makes and models, I chose a green freestanding tumbler — happily made of almost-entirely recycled materials. I fill it with ingredients rich in carbon and nitrogen: my kitchen scraps, leaves and weeds from the yard, and the used paper plates from outdoor BBQs that would have ended up in my garbage. Then I simply turn the hand-crank once a day to ignite the composting process and keep it going. With every turn, the ingredients tumble together, bringing air and nutrients to the worms that break them down, creating a mixture that will fuel new life in the soil wherever I apply it.

I must admit I feel a little jealous of my trees, flowers, and herbs that will benefit from this rich home-made plant food. If only human nourishment was as simple as dumping our junk in a bin and turning it once a day.

I’ve noticed a feeling of restlessness within me lately. You know what I mean? I’ve been fidgety to change how my life or work is going, but am not exactly sure what needs to improve — or where to begin. I feel both shaken and stirred; my life seems to be a jumble. Maybe it’s because I’ve been grieving at the recent death of a dear friend, ambivalent about my “mid-life” years, and antsy at the arrival of spring (everything else is growing anew, so why not me?!). Ordinarily I dislike such restlessness; I prefer to feel in control with a clear vision of the path ahead. But as I turn the composter’s crank I realize: I’m in the middle of turning over something new in my life, something rich and fertile and good. Something that will arrive in its own rhythm, not according to my agenda.

This relaxing of my expectations suits the arrival of spring. As eager as I may be to see my flowers bloom and herbs ready to pluck, they will be here in due time. As restless as I am with the jumble of emotions I’m facing, simply turning them over and providing air and water and time may be all that’s needed. As the eloquent environmentalist, Dana Meadows, wrote:

The Earth says what’s the hurry? Take your time building soils, forests, coral reefs, mountains. Take centuries or millennia. When any part wears out, turn it into food for something else.

To look at the pile of limp wilted vegetables, egg shells, and spent tea leaves next to my sink, it’s hard at first to see beauty in it. Then it joins the mixture in the bin and with patience and daily tending it becomes rich food for my plants. Where once I would have cringed at handling decomposing matter, now I see it as tending to nourishment. And when I apply the same attitude toward my own grieving, ambivalence, and restlessness, I find that I’m able to turn them into fuel for new growth in my life.

As the bumper sticker says, “compost happens.” Give it a tumble.

Photos by amandabhslater, Clean Air Gardening, and vinzcha.

Unhealthy eating is not an isolated issue. At the World Economic Forum this year, nutrition rated among the many hot topics discussed by world leaders. Here in the U.S., Michelle Obama embarked on a personal campaign to battle the epidemic of child obesity. While some organizations ‘get it,’ I’m afraid that far too many business execs fall into the same old energy-depleting eating habits. In fact, few execs I know truly make a connection between the fuel they consume and the oomph they need to get their work done.

So, here’s a quickie refresher: How can we leaders strategically use food to sustain high energy, stamina, and optimal performance? I asked this question to my colleague, Jerianne Heimendinger. She’s a thought leader in her field, counseling executives regarding nutrition and behavior change. Jerianne offered five invaluable tips which I’ve paraphrased here:

1. Reach for a glass of water (at least eight every day). OK, we’ve all heard this tactic before, but Jerianne puts a little chemistry behind it. She says that to generate a constant energy supply, the body requires oxygen, fuel, and water. Water helps us efficiently absorb the nutrients we need; yet most people are unknowingly dehydrated. If we count on thirst to signal our need for fluid, we’ve waited too long to take a drink. A proactive, energy-building strategy is to down two glasses of water a half hour before each meal, and a few extra glasses throughout the day. And, when you need a pick-me-up, reach for water first. Often, that sluggishness you’re feeling isn’t served as well with caffeine or sugar; it’s your body saying, “I need water.” Drink up.
2. Invest in high quality food. When you cut corners on your food because of cost or convenience, don’t underestimate how much this affects your capacity to lead. Above-average performance requires top-notch fuels. Choose foods which are as close to whole as feasible: whole grains, whole fruits, etc. Even better, eat foods which are organic and in season whenever possible.
3. Multitask, sure — but not while you’re eating. Leaders are always busy running from one thing to another and eating is often just another item on our to-do list. When we multitask, however, our bodies aren’t as capable of producing the digestive enzymes we need to fully absorb food’s nutrients. Multitasking puts our physiology in on-demand mode: Our bodies become prepared to either fight or take flight from an encroaching tiger (or cranky customer) when what we really need to do is “rest and digest.” The tip? Focus. If you want food to be an effective source of stamina, rather than indigestion, it pays to take time out to eat mindfully.
4. Add gratitude to your menu. Being grateful puts your body into a coherent, restful state, enabling you to digest and utilize food more efficiently. So say your blessings, take a moment to appreciate the presentation of your meal, practice deep breathing … do whatever it takes to get into a space of gratitude while you eat.
5. Encourage healthful eating in your organization. Show your employees how much you care about them through energizing food. Put the candy bowl out of sight and replace it with healthy snacks. Promote teaming up so that employees help each other eat high quality foods at lunch. Use incentives to support healthy eating in the workplace. As leader, you’re the role model; demonstrate your commitment to high energy and performance through both your personal eating habits and your sponsorship in the organization.

Like so many of the challenges we face as leaders, taking the time to reflect on what we already knew about healthy eating is a great start. I don’t want to sound like a tyrant to doughnuts and coffee, but when leaders really want to eat to win, we’re better off reaching for a handful of healthy nuts and water. Bottoms up!

Photo by lu_lu