Today I received the awful news that a young co-worker of mine had passed away after losing her fight with some form of a rare blood disease. As you'll discover below, I don't know what kind of illness she had or how long she had been battling that nasty bastard.
I always try to learn something from every situation, no matter how horrific. I determined that this news would be no exception, so after reading the announcement email I spent some time in prayer for her and her family, and then some time reflecting on the lessons that she taught me, albeit indirectly.
You Just Never Know
In all the time I knew her, up until about month before she went on medical leave, I had no idea she was even sick. She would never mention her illness, gave no indication of it, and showed no signs of how sick she was. Always cheerful and matter-of-fact, always smiling. Never glum. Not one complaint. I could never have been as calm as she was.
- Don't complain out loud. I've heard it said "Half the people don't care about your problems, and the other half are glad you've got them". But it's more than that: don't complain out loud because you never know if the people who hear you are actually living through much worse problems. They probably don't need to listen to you whine about your minor inconveniences in the face of their major situations.
- Dig deeper with those who will let you. Some people are private by nature, or don't want to come across as a burden. And some of those folks could really use a shoulder to cry on, or a pair of arms to help hold them up. So if you've got some close friends who you just don't know much about anymore, why not ask what they're facing in their lives these days. What things are scaring them at the moment. What you can do to help or support them.
- If you have a solution to people's problems, offer it! Sometimes we're afraid we're being pushy, preachy, or hard-selling. But if you truly believe you have something to offer that can be of assistance to others, you should make sure people know it's available and that you'll do whatever you can to get it in their hands.
Life Is Short, Live It
My co-worker was in her early 30's. That's way too young to die. Way too young.
I know that if I found out that I only had a short time left, I'd be pissed that I had squandered much of the life I've already lived.
Oh sure, we've made a great life for ourselves. I work hard at a job that I love. I have three awesome kids and an awesome wife of almost 25 years. But in general, I've lived my life in my comfort zone. And I've lived a life I've largely settled for.
But there's so much more out there. Financial freedom is within everyone's grasp if we'd just reach farther, delay our gratification a little longer, be a lot bolder, and help a lot more people to get what it is that they want.
So if you've lived the complacent life, figure out how to break yourself out of that rut. Make a game plan to get debt free. Find a way to create multiple, residual streams of income. Only then can you have true financial freedom. And if you want to know how we're pursuing those ends, contact me - I'd love to help you.
Pray
If you would, say a prayer for my co-worker and her family. And then pray that God will help you develop the wisdom you need to lead the life that He, as your Father, wants for you, as His child, to lead. Chances are it doesn't involve working in an office 8 hours a day wrapped with an hour of commuting each way...
