Quote of the Day: Richard Baker on Wealth & Money

We often believe that getting ahead requires a little self-neglect, that sleep is optional, stress is a badge, and your body can “catch up later.” But Richard Baker offers a more optimistic truth: prosperity isn’t built by sacrificing yourself; it’s built by protecting what makes success usable. “To get rich never risk your health. For it is the truth that health is the wealth of wealth.”

Baker’s warning is practical, not moralistic. Money is meant to buy freedom, time, choice, security. Yet when the pursuit of wealth drains your energy, erodes your mood, or breaks your body, you trade the very capacity that lets you enjoy what you’ve earned. The cruel irony is that the “hustle” can produce a bank balance you’re too exhausted to spend well.

Try applying the quote like a simple filter: if a decision boosts income but reliably damages sleep, relationships, or mental stability, it’s not a win, it’s a loan against your future. Real success includes sustainability. Health is the asset that makes every other asset liquid: it powers creativity, patience, focus, and the steady compounding of good habits. Without it, even abundance can feel like confinement.

Baker’s perspective carries weight because he’s lived at the intersection of public responsibility and real-world stakes, rooted in Louisiana, serving in congressional financial oversight, working on hurricane recovery, and later moving into finance leadership where long-term thinking isn’t optional.

Today, take one “wealth move” that improves your health: schedule a 20-minute walk, set a hard stop for work tonight, and drink a full glass of water before your next coffee. Guard your leadership capacity like the fortune it is, and may your ambition be strong, and your wellbeing stronger.