Appreciating the Simple Things in Life

I gotta say, I’ve had a bit of a rough go of it, medically speaking, this past year.

And I know now, first hand, that one of the best “teachers” for appreciation of the simple things in life, is adversity. Our ability to identify and experience the contrast between what we are dealing with and what we desire is indeed a great teacher.

For those of you reading this… if you’ve ever had major surgery, you know it can be a tough climb back to vibrant health and full strength. I’ve had two surgeries in the past 12 months; a lumpectomy for breast cancer in July of 2016 and a full hip replacement this past May, 2017. Both scary in their own but very different ways.

But throughout both my medical experiences, when I was able to focus on appreciating what for me were some of the simple things in my life, that helped me come through the other side feeling oh so much better.

Simple things vary for each of us. Here’s a short list of the simple things that kept me in a state of appreciation through my tough times;

• The love and support of my family, near and far
• Friends who called and emailed and visited and brought me healthy food
• My clients who were patient and eagerly returned after a two-month hiatus
• Noticing how my strength and health improved each day
• Having a really large pile of good books to read
• Allowing the time to honor my body and recover at my own pace

Simple things… Sometimes, it’s really all we need!