A sudden wake-up call is any event that immediately causes an
epiphany in your life. It could be an accident, a close call, a health
scare, or anything that shakes you out of your comfort zone and reminds
you that life is fragile and temporary. The perspective shift that a
sudden wake-up call provides sharpens the focus on the lens through
which we view life. For example, you may believe that you have a lot of
problems, and things aren’t going they way you would like. Then, all
of a sudden, something can happen to you that makes you say, "I
wish I didn’t waste so much of my energy on those problems for all of
that time, because now I see, in the grand scheme of things, they’re
really not that important." In fact, after a wake-up call, you may
long for a return back to the way things used to be! Most of the time, a
sudden wake-up call will cause you to re-evaluate your life, what is
truly important, what is trivial, and what you’ve been overlooking and
taking for granted.
Some of us have had a sudden wake up call, some of us perhaps will
in the future. People that have overcome wake-up calls with their health
amaze me. I’ve spoken with several cancer survivors at my talks and
their strength is so inspiring. They all say that the little things in
life that they used to stress over are now just meaningless. In fact,
the highest level of perspective can be "any day above the ground
is a good day!"
My wake-up call occurred when I lost my voice due to an apparent
infection, and it took weeks to return. Imagine how upsetting that is
for someone who speaks for a living. After many tests and not a little
anxiety, my physician diagnosed the problem as acid reflux disease.
Though previously I had no symptoms, stress was causing stomach acid to
flow backwards into my larynx, damaging my vocal ability and causing the
delay in healing and the return of my voice. It was then that said to
myself, "It’s time to make some serious changes." I needed
to focus less on what was wrong with the world and my life and more on
myself and what I choose to internalize and dwell on. Mostly, I needed
to slow down and take life one event at a time, one day at a time.
Oddly enough, although wake-up calls are initially traumatic, many
people are grateful to have received one after the fact. Grateful
because it made them stronger, gave them new insights, taught them a
lesson they needed to learn or changed the way they live. Even a sports
injury that results in being off your feet for 6 weeks and helps you to
slow down to see things you’ve never seen before in your usual rushed
state has value to it. While my wake-up call may feel minor compared to
many other stories I’ve heard, I’m grateful that it occurred at a
relatively young age when I was able to do something about it.
The worst part of a sudden wake-up call is the accompanying sense
of regret for lost time, wasted energy and missed opportunities that
can’t be replaced. But the best part of sudden wake-up call is the new
power of conviction it often leaves behind. Fortunately, you can create
the effect of a sudden wake-up call without experiencing a major tragedy
or other trauma in your life. Simply ask yourself, "What is it
costing me? What does it cost me when I give away my peace of mind
to external situations, allow myself to get caught up in things, and
fail to be present in the moments of my life? What does that cost me
physically, professionally, spiritually, intellectually, and in my
relationships?"
If you ask yourself these questions every day, you will conclude,
hopefully long before a sudden wake-up call takes you by surprise, that
"It’s Just Not Worth It." Otherwise, know that lessons in
life are presented to us over and over in various forms until we learn
them, until we can say with conviction, "Thank you for the lesson.
I got it and don’t need another."
About the Author
Kevin
Stacey helps companies and professionals achieve maximum productivity
and effectiveness through stress management and time management
training. He is available to speak on these topics.
For more information visit http://www.TrainRightInc.com
or call 1-800-603-7168.
