A few months ago, “Janet”, one of my best friends, sent me a shocking message. She was diagnosed with nerve deafness! “What the heck is that?”I asked. It meant she is mostly deaf in one ear and only salvages the hearing in her other ear with strong drugs and mandatory rest. 🙁 She added her doctors did not know the root cause.
I told her – it’s STRESS, Janet! I have been asking Janet to slow down for the last 10 years. This is her 3rd medical scare – the first one was a major back issue 15 years ago, then she had a weakened heart condition 10 years ago, and now partial deafness. Janet is a well known financial fund leader in Asia. She is super smart, hard working, and very accomplished. She started running her own fund and company 15 years ago. She has always been driven ever since I have known her in business school. Her drive to win in the business world often came at a price of her health.
The bad news this month didn’t stop there. A week after I spoke with Janet about her latest health scare, I found out a colleague died of a brain tumor suddenly earlier this year. “Lisa” and I worked together for the last 4 years. I last spoke with her in November and everything seemed fine. Apparently, Lisa had a bad headache in December and went to see the doctor. After several tests, they told her she had a brain tumor that required an operation. She had the operation and it seemed to have gone well. But then she was hospitalized in May and never came out again. I cannot believe it. Lisa was only 51 years old.
I found out this news while talking to another colleague “Mary”, who has been wanting to quit her job since late last year. She shared she has been working until 1am almost every day and most weekends. She shared that she has a tyrant boss but at least he needs her. What?! I know Mary well enough to tell her – “Why are you staying in this abusive work relationship?” Mary is also very smart, accomplished and driven.
Why are all these over-achiever professionals working themselves to death? Perhaps I am being dramatic. I am just really worried for Janet and Mary.
I had one major health scare in my life. I was 31 years old when it happened. I was working myself so hard that I ended up crying at work one day while typing on my computer in pain after haven taken 4 Advils already that morning. I had what’s called “repetitive strain injury – RSI.” I was working 12-14 hours days six days a week on an “high profile” consulting project. I was creating slides and typing notes in all sorts of non-ergonomic positions.
Long story short, the impact of this injury scared me enough to change my life fundamentally. It was scary to have all the following symptoms in my early 30s. I was always very healthy or I thought
- I couldn’t hold a glass of water with two hands
- I couldn’t put on my seat belt on my own
- I was on temporary disability for 4 months and 10 different kinds of treatments over a 3 year period
- I was designated 24% permanently disabled in 2006 so the state can close my workers comp case
- My doctor told me “it will be very painful to be pregnant” any time soon. What?! How can this be? I remembered the news hit me hard.
This injury was probably the best thing that happened to me. I fundamentally changed my career as well as how I worked. No more insane hours nor the pursuit of success at the detriment of my health. While I did recover 100% as well as got married and had two beautiful kids without abnormal pain, I was and am forever warned not to do that again to myself.
Will my friends do the same for themselves? I hope so! I am trying my best to scare them to change; however it’s really up to them to make that change. There is no one at their death bed that ever says they wish they worked more or made more money.
During the last month, I came across this speech below that really resonated. While I soon found out Steve Jobs did NOT make this speech below at his death bed, it’s still worth reading. I wish he did say it as perhaps more people would listen to the wisdom of these words before it’s too late.
If you are overly stressed and just had a health scare, please read this and remember what’s really important in life.
Steve Jobs died a billionaire, with a fortune of $ 7 billion, at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer. His actual last words were “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow” and that’s it. What’s below was made up by someone unknown in the hope more would listen to these lessons if these words came from Steve Jobs.
——————————–
“In other eyes, my life is the essence of success, but aside from work, I have a little joy, and in the end wealth is just a fact of life to which I am accustomed. At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death.
You can hire someone to drive a car for you, make money for you – but you can not rent someone to carry the disease for you. One can find material things, but there is one thing that can not be found when it is lost – “life”.
Treat yourself well, and cherish others. Your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. As we get older we are smarter, and we slowly realize …
- The watch is worth $30 or $ 300 – both of which show the same time.
- Whether we carry a purse worth $30 or $ 300 – the amount of money in the wallets are the same.
- Whether we drive a car worth $150,000, or a car worth $30,000 – the road and distance are the same, we reach the same destination.
- If we drink a bottle worth $ 300 or wine worth $10 – the “stroller” will be the same.
- If the house we live in is 300 square meters, or 3000 square meters – the loneliness is the same.
- Whether we are flying first class, or economy class – if the plane crashes, we crash with it.
So, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to – this is true happiness!
Five Undeniable Facts-
- Do not educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. – So when they grow up they will know the value of things, not the price.
- Eat your food as medicine, otherwise you will need to eat your medicine as food.
- Whoever loves you will never leave you, even if he has 100 reasons to give up. He will always find one reason to hold on.
- There is a big difference between being human and human being.
- If you want to go fast – go alone! But if you want to go far – go together!
And in conclusion, the six best doctors in the world.
- Sunlight
- Rest
- Exercise
- Diet
- Self-confidence
- Family/Friends
Keep them in all stages of life and enjoy a healthy life.
—————————————————–
Your comments: Are you able to lead a balanced life? if so, please share how you are able to do it. If you are over-worked at the expense of your health, what will make you stop hurting yourself? I can use the advice to help my friends.
Your comments: Do you have an inner voice that tells you that you are not enough? Do you where it comes from and how to ignore it? I look forward to hearing from you.
Like this article? Please share it with your friends and colleagues on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc…
New to this Site? Start here – How to Succeed like an Executive
I am always in your corner.
Lei
Work smart and live more! Life is more than just work. Change your definition of success and live a more fulfilled life.
Lei