I just experienced one of the worst times to get a stomach virus. The day after Thanksgiving. Yeah, that’s enough of a word picture for anyone, right?

I don’t get sick like this often. In fact, Towona and I discussed it and the last time I had a bug like this was 16 years ago. I’ve been blessed over my years with good health.

There is an interesting gift one receives from an illness. At least I did and I don’t think I’m different from most.

Perspective.

Perspective is defined as:

a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. – Dictionary.com

What Matters Most

Here’s the perspective I got by being sick. I actually thought about this as I was lying in the floor waiting for the next bout to hit me. Everything I was worried about yesterday meant nothing at that point. 

It's All About Relationships

If the meaning of things I was so concerned and worried about went to zero so fast, should I really be that concerned with them? Should I be placing so much meaning and use so much of my energy dealing with them?

For me it was really eye opening. 

If you’re not healthy, most of what you consider as “your life” doesn’t matter much. What matters most are the close relationships you have around you. 

Here’s the true perspective. 

Don’t wait until you’re sick to realize how important and how much the people in your life mean to you, and tell them!

Leaving Your Mark

We hear over and over that we need to have a mission in life and that the only thing we leave behind is our legacy. We all want to make a difference and an imprint on our world. 

What we often forget is that the only mark you can leave on this world is in the hearts of people. Things could care less what you did for them but people remember.

That’s your legacy. Those you helped, those you loved and those who loved you. 

Nothing else matters.