Warren Buffett once asked college students to imagine a genie granting them a car of their choice when they turned 16. However, the genie also tells them that this is the only car they get. For the rest of their life.
Then he said, “that’s exactly how you have to treat your body and mind.”
So let me ask you.
Are you fighting too much with your significant other? Take the first step. Is there a health insurance card in your wallet? If so, get it out. Turn it over. Call the customer service number on the back. Ask if you’re covered for couples counseling, and who’s available in your area.
Are you not getting the sleep you need? Take the first step. Do just one thing differently with your sleep hygiene. You know that thing about how the light from screens messes with your sleep quality? Try putting away your device just 30 minutes before you close your eyes and nod off. Just try it. See what happens.
Are you angry all the time and you’re not sure why? Take the first step. Anger is always just the tip of the iceberg. There’s always a bunch of other stuff underneath it. These days with leaders, I find it’s often stress—unrelenting pressure from work, home, and society. Just as frequently, it’s isolation. When’s the last time you called up your best friend and just said, “Hey. I love you, buddy, when can we go grab a bite to eat?” The source of your anger can be a million other things. Figure it out, because being angry all the time is no way to live. It’s miserable. You deserve better, and so does everyone around you.
Those are just a few examples, there are many others I could mention. Maybe you’re always down on yourself in your own head. Maybe you’re coping with overwhelm by relying too much on substances and it’s corroding more and more of your life. Maybe 65% of your daily nutrition comes from Kwik Trip donut holes. (I mean. Yowza those things are good!) Everyone’s different.
But Warren is right: We only get one body and one mind. They are our most precious assets. And like any investment, they need careful tending.
So ask yourself, “What’s not working?” Listen. And then give yourself a no-bullshit answer. Whatever’s stuck and needing a change—take the first step. Feel how empowering it is to begin to trust that you’ve got your own back.
When you trust you, there’s a calm confidence that radiates from you. It’s unmistakable and it’s powerful. Self-trust makes you a better leader because it makes you a more integrated person. Others feel safer and more secure in your presence.
None of us will ever take perfect care of ourselves. There will always be things that are stuck and not working. Different stucknesses come at different times in our lives. That’s okay—that’s part of being human.
But the knowledge that you can be counted on to advocate for your own life when it matters most? Priceless.
And I’m sure the Oracle of Omaha would agree.
