When I was a younger man, I lived my life with a philosophy of, “What’s in it for me?” I thought I was invincible. I was in great shape, a student of the martial arts for nine years, a top rated racquetball player. I had good friends, a great job teaching at the University of Florida. I was on top of the world.
That all changed with one sentence… “You need to get your affairs in order, you have three months, six at the most to live.”
I sat across the desk from my oncologist as he spoke these words that shook my world, my very core. I thought he must be talking about somebody else. This couldn’t be happening to me. I am too young (25 at the time), I am in great shape… It can’t be true!
I was diagnosed with metastasized melanoma. A very rapid, fatal form of cancer. The oncologist told me that there really wasn’t anything they could do for my type of cancer. He explained that once it was in your blood system, it was just a matter of time before it attacked major organs.
My story of recovery, and the paradigm shift it created was the the inspiration for my first book; “TGIT… Thank God It’s Today”.
Fast forward many decades…
During this time of a pandemic and civil unrest I look back on that pivotal time in my life as a reminder of how important it is to really “live” each day rather than simply exist. I also learned that life is so much better when you understand that you can have anything you want if you will just help other people get what they want. After all, true abundance is not what you have; rather it is about what you give.
Remember… Every day is a gift, and the quality of your life is your gift to yourself.