Live Like You Have Cancer
What if you went to the doctor and he told you that you have metastasized, late-stage liver cancer? That you only had a few months to live? Your second and third and fourth opinions confirm the diagnosis, and even holistic healers shrug their shoulders. What then?
You decide to appreciate every last drop of your life. You find your way to New Zealand, eat great handfuls of candy in the middle of the night, make peace with your brother, try skydiving, pray, smoke Cuban cigars, stop telling lies...you do whatever it is you feel compelled to do.
And, just as you discover what is truly important, you also learn what not to spend your time and energy on. Working so many hours for somebody else just doesn't seem so important anymore. Neither does arguing with anyone about anything. And there is no time left for jealousy, greed, or hate.
For some people, being diagnosed with a terminal illness is one of the best things that ever happens to them.
What is it that you really long to do? You'd better do it because breathing is in itself a kind of terminal illness. We all know we're going to die — some of us even have a good idea of when — but do we really know how to live well?
While some amount of preparation for the future is still important, I try to live every day like I have cancer. I appreciate every minute as if it could be my last. And, who knows? It could very well be.
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