Life is a Gift

Life is a gift. I know we hear that all the time, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is.

Part of my work as a nurse means that I get to see moms before or after they have their babies. I also get to hear some the fetus' heartbeats. The first time I heard the baby's heart inside the mom, I was amazed!

The problem is that life is also hectic. We are constantly faced with problems and challenges that make us stressed. And so, life passes by so quickly and we hardly have time to enjoy it all!

I'm the type of person who is always doing something or the other. If I'm not studying, I'm writing on my blog, reading, preparing for church service, helping around the house, etc. Each day is so busy and full of events. By nighttime, I'm exhausted! It seems as though they aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. Have you ever felt like this?

The challenge is trying to find a balance between the rush of life and taking the time to appreciate what you have. In fact, often it is the little things that help us realize how great life is. Like hearing a baby's heart. Or watching the news and realizing how lucky we are. Or experiencing a difficult event and then getting it through it. Sometimes we need to slow down.

I have trouble 'slowing down' because life is always too fast! I guess I need to find out what I can do to accomplish this. Something I'm trying to work on this year is to not stress over everything - and that's really hard for me. My perfectionism kicks in and demands that I work super hard, get good marks, achieve all my goals, etc. Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing.  But sometimes, too much of a good thing is not so great.

My goal for this week is to take a few minutes each day to reflect and identify one reason why I am thankful for my life. Sounds easy, but I really struggle with this. I often question God on why He put me here - and why He saved my life. There MUST be a reason. And everyday, I will take the time to think of one reason. Maybe it's to make a patient smile. Maybe it's to help others with my blog. Or maybe it's to keep my family company. Whatever it is, I know that life is precious. So I'm going to find out why.

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