Word of the Week

Priority

Definition: a thing that is regarded as more important than another

Consider this...

To say that I was a nerd in high school and college is a tremendous understatement. School, studies, learning - those were the things that took priority in my life. Also an understatement. School was my life.

I wasn’t antisocial, but I just didn’t really get much out of being overly social. I felt most comfortable when I was learning. I looked forward to the quietness in my dorm on Saturday nights. Everyone else was out partying, and I could focus on memorizing hundreds of flash cards for my Art History mid-term without interruption.

Beginning in my junior year of college, I would get really, really sick. Like, 3 weeks in the hospital, hooked up to oxygen, can’t walk to the bathroom without assistance kind of sick. After my hospital stays, I’d feel better, and jump right back into my studies, full steam ahead. A few months later, hospital again. Study, Sickness, Repeat.

After a hospital stay, I had an appointment with my doctor to make sure that I was on the road to recovery. And he said to me, “I know you love school and Art History (my major) more than anything. But I think it’s time you made your chronic illness your second major.”

Lightbulb moment.

For years, I had gotten my priorities mixed up. I sacrificed healthcare for school. Art History was my escape from the reality of my illness, and I was submerging myself in oil paintings and frescoes. In turn, my health suffered tremendously. And also in turn, so did my studies. It was a vicious circle.

After that comment from my doctor, I made a change. Health first. Everything else second. In making myself and my healthcare the priority, I was ensuring that I’d have more time and energy to pursue the things I really loved, without worry or fear that I’d have to give them up.

Making yourself your own highest priority may sound selfish, but when you make sure that you are operating at your best, you will find that everything else you want or need to do will get a little bit easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Go ahead, do some priority reorganizing, and put your name on the top of the list. You’ll feel great!