Keisha Blair, the “Mother of Holistic Wealth” and founder of the Institute on Holistic Wealth, has been described as someone who “has dedicated a great deal of time inspiring others to powerfully recover from disruption.”
The Holistic Wealth movement that she founded stemmed from her viral article, My Husband Died at 34: Here are 40 Life Lessons I Learned From It, which captivated 50 million people around the world.
Since then, she has dedicated her time to helping women find their strength, own their voice, and persevere in the face of hardship. She is now training an army of Certified Holistic Wealth ConsultantsTM, and people from 20 countries across the globe tune into her very popular Holistic Wealth podcast every week.
Her book, Holistic Wealth: 36 Life Lessons to Help You Recover from Disruption, Find Your Life Purpose, and Achieve Financial Freedom, focuses on the spiritual, mental, emotional, and financial components of living a life that is fulfilling, autonomous, and filled with resilience and strength. The highly acclaimed book has legions of fans, including celebrities such as Actress Kelly Rutherford, Maria Shriver, Arianna Huffington, CNN’s Kirsten Powers, Laura Coates and more.
Wander Magazine caught up with Keisha Blair in early January 2023. The following are some takeaways from our conversation that highlight Blair’s keen wisdom on living an authentic life—and moving forward in 2023 with strength.
“Chasing the highest-paid position is pointless. Service to humanity is the Highest Calling”
– Keisha Blair, Holistic Wealth
How should we view “prosperity” in light of our new world, post-COVID-19?
As a trained Economist, who has worked at the very pinnacle of my profession, I’ve become concerned that too often, we conventionally define prosperity and success solely in economic terms, says Blair. But there is so much more to a beautiful and successful life—especially when facing and overcoming major obstacles. Women, in particular, bear the brunt of the effects when a family faces a devastating setback.
In 2022, according to CNBC, women leaders left their companies at the highest rate ever, and the gap between senior men and women became the largest ever in history, according to McKinsey and Company. “We’re seeing unprecedented rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide even among the very wealthy, and loneliness is forecasted as the next big epidemic. A recent Harvard Study of Adult Development has shown that the number one driver of our long-term happiness is community connection, which is why as my book spells out, relationships are also at the core of Holistic Wealth”, says Blair.
“We have to empower women to see their lives as worthy and meaningful, even in the face of those setbacks. We’ve all been through this collective time of grief and dislocation, and we’re looking for purpose and meaning,” says Blair, who believes that building wealth in all aspects of our lives—including mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual—is paramount. “That’s what holistic growth is.”
You teach a lot about life purpose. How can we figure out what our purpose is?
Too often, when we set goals, we think about it in terms of a specific job title, position, salary or acquiring material possessions. However, your purpose in life is so much bigger than that, says Blair.
“Chasing after the highest-paid position is pointless. It could actually lead you much further away from your life purpose. Service to humanity is the highest calling”, says Blair. “I always tell people that your purpose in life is never just based on ego. It’s based on how you can drive humanity forward.”
Blair says that when we face life-altering setbacks and challenges, it can be soul-stretching to think: How can I use this experience? How can I use this to help someone else? There is always someone out there who can benefit from the wisdom you’ve gained. “Your life’s purpose is always rooted in humanity. It’s always driving that forward. And I know that keeps us grounded.”
What are four micro-steps people can take today to start their Holistic Wealth journey?
Here are four things that everyone can start doing today. The last one is a bigger picture activity that the Institute on Holistic Wealth can help you craft and develop:
- Outline your core values – “If you ever feel lost, it can be clarifying to acknowledge the things in life that propel you. Write down the values that are most meaningful to you. Whether it’s community, loyalty, or courage—there are so many. Rank those values in order of priority, and then choose your top five. Think about not only your life and your unique story of self—where you come from, your unique background, your skills, and experiences—but also what drives you and what your passions are”, says Blair.
- Create a Personal Mission Statement – “An intention represents a commitment to carrying out an action in the future – creating a personal mission statement helps to articulate your intentions. The Holistic Wealth Personal Workbook has case studies and a template to help guide you”.”
- Know Your Personal Financial Identity – “I also developed the Personal Financial Identities Framework to help people identify their personal financial identities. Everyone can take the free quiz; it takes only a few minutes. It’s also a fun activity to do with friends, families, and couples,” says Blair.
- Think about your personal Holistic Wealth PortfolioTM – “Your Holistic Wealth portfolio is a summation of all your goals and intentions as well as a roadmap to get you there in the core aspects of holistic wealth. It can be updated and graded based on your individual resilience scores. The Institute on Holistic Wealth can help you develop yours”, says Blair.
