One of the best ways to illustrate the folly of making goals in life without balance and without consciousness is to take a look at all of the people who have had their lives cut short from working too hard, dying from heart disease.

A ship out of balance will tip over. A plane out of balance will not be able to take off. A high-wire act without balance will fall. Why should life without balance be any different.

I lost my father when I was 20 years old. He had a heart attack on the job. He was a pharmacist. He would come home each day exhausted and stressed. Until the day he didn’t come home at all.

That made a big impact on me. I vowed I would never fall into that lifestyle trap and die of a heart attack on the job. Perhaps that’s why I never became a millionaire.

I remember shortly after he died receiving a small wall hanging with the following quote: “Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and don’t forget to smell the flowers.” It slowed me down immediately. Balance in my life has become my goal. Happiness, health, and inner peace have become the pillars of my life.

Too often I see people trying to get to the top as quickly as possible. They don’t give a damn about the consequences. There is no concern about their well being, or the well being of others, including their children.

Here are some of the other causes of heart disease as well as a list of what you can do to prevent it:

1. Putting your financial health ahead of your personal health;

2. Reviewing each day’s problems at home every night;

3. Never saying no;

4. Using lunch time to get work done;

5. Not taking your earned vacation;

6. Working more than 12 hours a day;

7. (What my dad did) Smoking and drinking at night as a reward for a hard day of work;

8. Hanging out with friends who also drink and smoke;

9. Avoid exercise due to a lack of time;

10. Overeating.

Here are 10 suggestions that may help prevent heart disease:

1. Check your blood pressure regulary;

2. Eliminate excess body fat; cut back on eating meat. Eat anti-inflammatory foods such as wild salmon. Avoid inflammatory foods such as sweets;

3. Exercise regularly;

4. Don’t smoke;

5. Take lots of vitamin C. It’s keeps the arteries clean and reduces inflammation. 10-20 grams a day;

6. Take fish oil. It lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels;

7. Eat dark chocolate. It is an effective anti-oxidant;

8. Don’t worry. It constricts blood vessels;

9. Drink red wine; it reduces bad cholesterol;

10. Reduce stress. Try yoga or meditation. Listen to music. Get lots of touch. All of these will increase circulation.

Balance is critical to having a successful life. Success here is defined as complete, happy, filled with meaning and love. We are not here on this planet to prove our greatness and make millions. We are here to learn how to be human, and that means a lot more than being wealthy.