A Health Scare

Have you ever experienced something sudden and unexpected that jolts you into reassessing everything? I had that last week. A medical diagnosis that made me reconsider things that I had been giving time and attention. A very real reminder that life is too short to be wasted. That it’s so easy to let laziness and fear and safety and comfort dominate what we do.

We don’t have that long, and there are people in desperate need and a planet being gradually consumed and devastated. We don’t have that long, and the world needs more and more of us to do what we were each put here to do.

And I’ve realized that I’ve often been giving priority to things that aren’t the most important.

I want to be productive but it doesn’t matter if I still have a few things left on my list.

I want to check emails but that doesn’t have to be first thing. Or second, or third.

I’d like to get everything done but I’d rather complete something worthwhile and important, or just make a difference to someone.

People matter more than tasks.

I want to be healthy but it doesn’t matter if I close all the rings on my Apple Watch each day.

Cherish the small moments, not just the big events.

Look for joy everywhere, and be grateful for each day.

The health issue isn’t resolved yet (surgery scheduled for next week) but I want this experience to be an opportunity to reassess priorities and make sure I’m paying more attention to the people and the activities that matter most.