How wonderful life is while you're in the world

Today marks exactly two years from when I was hospitalized due to a DVT in my left leg. It’s incredible how much that experience really changed my outlook on life and how because of it, it’s rare that you’ll hear me complain about anything.

That experience reiterated for me just how unpredictable life is. One day you’re fine and the next you’re at death’s door. It taught me that so many of the worries I had, wouldn’t be worries in the following year, so what was the point of worrying so much? It revealed to me how much I would appreciate exercising because my body could actually do so. It was hard to see how my body had gone from doing everything on its own and then needing assistance for simple things like literally getting out of bed.

It taught me how much I appreciate working because I could physically get into my car, drive the distance and sit at my desk to work. It’s not easy being told that you are not even physically fit to do a sedentary job. It was hard to feel that even laughing (although I didn't do much of it around this time) caused me pain. It was hard to know that walking, climbing up and down stairs, showering, putting on clothes and attempting to put on makeup was a chore. It was hard to have to stop every hour on car rides because sitting was painful and your doctor said that you had to do it to make blood flow in your very swollen leg. It was hard to not be able to do things that were once annoying to me like house work or grocery shopping because it meant that I was not well.

That experience taught me that it is an actual gift to wake up healthy and live life without constant pain.

How amazing it is that your body can actually exercise.
How amazing it is that you can actually work.
How amazing it is that you can clean your house and grocery shop.
How amazing it is that you can cook your favorite meals.
How amazing it is to be able to enjoy long road trips.
How amazing it is to laugh hard and feel nothing but joy.

Don’t spend your short time on this earth worrying about things that have no significance. Don’t waste time trying to be like the Joneses. Give, give, give as it is far better to give than to receive. Whether it be money, time or your services. And to be honest there’s no better feeling in this world than to know that you made a difference in someone’s life. Smile, even when you’re feeling sad; you know the saying, fake it till you make it. Spend less time judging others and more time evaluating yourself on what you can do better. It's incredible that just by doing that, you'll be able to see all the things that you could do better.

January 18th will always be a day that I will stop to reflect on how far I’ve come and how much I have to be grateful for. January 18th could have been my last day on this earth but instead I was given another chance. I still don’t have it all together. I'm not really sure I ever will if I’m to be honest; but I am working on it. Every single day, simply because I can.