Why does it take something to happen for you to "wake up" to some of the important things in your life?
Why does it take your wife or husband threatening to leave for you to start fully appreciating your marriage and your family?
Why do you have to get fired to realize what a great opportunity your job was?
Why do you need a doctor to tell you you're one step away from heart disease to get you to change your diet and exercise habits?
Why does it take a loved one falling ill for you to get fully checked out?
Why does it take your child getting in trouble at school for you to really stop and ask him or her how school is going?
Why does it take really bad weather for you to appreciate the beauty of a simply "nice" day?
My friend Harvey Mackay says:
“The little things don’t mean a lot. They mean everything."
The problem is, while we know which things are important in our lives, we're constantly distracted and don't pay them full attention until they've become problematic; until that infamous "wake up call."
Here's a little exercise: Try to think of a few hypothetical wake up calls you'd hate to receive.
Now go appreciate those "little things" before their destruction wakes you up!
