Four Pillar Friday
Your weekly guide to thriving in every aspect of life—Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Financial Wellness.

This Week’s Quote:
“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” -Soren Kierkegaard

Physical Wellness

On paper, an average U.S. outpatient appointment runs about 13–17 minutes of face-to-face time with a doctor. Primary care visits typically last between 15.7 and 18.9 minutes, while appointments with specialists fall in a similar range.

But here’s the fuller picture: a study analyzing national survey data estimated that the entire appointment experience—including travel, waiting, and time in the clinic—takes approximately 121 minutes (about two hours). Of that, only around 20 minutes are spent actually with the physician.

Mental Wellness

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General called loneliness and disconnection one of the most pressing health crises of our time. Nearly half of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, and the consequences are far more than emotional, isolation raises risks for heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and premature death. The health impact of chronic loneliness is now being compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

But how does connection influence health? The Surgeon General’s advisory [JE1] breaks it into 3 core pathways:

• Biology: Chronic disconnection elevates stress hormones, increases inflammation, and even alters gene expression.
• Psychology: Relationships provide meaning, safety, resilience, and hope. All keys to managing stress and navigating challenges.
• Behaviors: When we feel connected, we tend to take better care of ourselves, improving sleep, activity, nutrition, and even treatment adherence.

Social connection isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s a critical pillar that touches every layer of our well-being.

The full Surgeon General advisory is here.

Financial Wellness

I’ll Be Happy When…

It’s a phrase many of us say almost daily: I’ll be happy when I earn $100K. I’ll be happy when we buy the bigger house. I’ll be happy when I get the next promotion.

It’s a treadmill that never seems to slow down.

That mindset hit even harder after reading about a study out of Harvard Business School. Researchers surveyed high-net-worth investors (minimum $1M in assets) and asked two simple questions:
1. How happy are you today?
2. How much more money would you need to feel perfectly happy?

Across almost every wealth level, the pattern was the same: most said they would need 2-3 times more than they currently had to feel fully happy — no matter how much they already possessed. Whether their net worth was $1 million, $10 million, or beyond, the target kept moving.

The study highlights a truth many of us quietly wrestle with: happiness rarely scales with the size of the bank account. The goalpost keeps shifting because we chase external benchmarks instead of building internal alignment. True contentment — whether financial, physical, mental, or spiritual — often comes not from more, but from clarity, stewardship, and learning how to define enough on your own terms.

Spiritual Wellness

In episodes 164 and 165 of Philosophize This!, Stephen West unpacks Emerson’s Self-Reliance—a foundational idea for personal growth and spiritual wellness. Emerson challenges us to trust our inner compass over external noise, to avoid conformity, and to embrace the quiet voice that calls us toward purpose. True self-reliance isn’t isolation. It’s about the courage to live from your own center, knowing that meaning, purpose, and fulfillment aren’t handed down from others, but cultivated within. For anyone working through their wellness journey, it’s a perfect reminder that spiritual growth starts with listening to what’s already inside.

Stay Connected:
What steps—big or small—are you taking in physical, mental, financial, and spiritual wellness? Maybe you pushed your limits in a workout, made a mindful financial choice, or found time for reflection.

We’d love to hear how you’re integrating Physical, Mental, Financial, and Spiritual Wellness into your week. Drop a comment, message us, or tag us—because growth happens when we show up and share the journey. And if this resonates with you, share it with someone who might find it meaningful.

Here’s to Living Richly,
The Journey Team & The 9:03