After almost 20 years as a doctor, I'm still amazed by how differently people react to illness. In a typical week I see lots of peole with minor illnesses - coughs, colds, sore throats. Most people see the few days that they are sick as a minor inconvenience and just get on with their life, whilst for others, the illness seems to become their life. They spend their time ruminating on how poorly they feel, tell everyone about it and seem to enjoy comparing their symptoms with those around them.
Contrast this with my terminally ill patients, or the housebound elderly who are forced to depend on others for help in a way they never imagined. Many of these are incredibly positive in their outlook. When I talk to them about this, they'll often say something like - "now I know I haven't got that long left, I really try and make the most of what I do have." They are able to find pleasure in small things - a sunny morning, beautiful flowers, a warm smile. Often their situation helps them focus in and appreciate what they have right now. They are a pleasure to spend time with and I always learn a lot from them.
Hopefully as you read this, you're in good health...... so why wait to start appreciating what's around you? I believe that when you feel good, you start to look out for other good things around you. In other words - you get more of what you feel.
One way to kick start this is to ask yourself better questions - more of this tomorrow.
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