Our family has learned that intention isn’t anywhere near good enough. It’s not the thought that counts, it’s the follow-through. Everything we believe to be important is rendered null and void if we’re prioritising any of it above health and well-being. All those other pursuits — the work pressures and family commitments, even the “me time” and dream-chasing — are rendered pointless if we no longer exist.
There were some big things on my husband’s last To-Do list:
Rhodes Scholarship reference
ABC stuff
Book chapter
Conference paper
But which of these was more important than ‘find out I urgently need heart surgery’? The conference paper? The radio stuff?
Those things, and all the other achievements he pulled off in his productive, prolific, love-filled life have been traded now with seeing our five-year-old son grow up. That’s the stark reality of it.
I’m overdue for a routine skin check, but I’m off to Adelaide later in the week for a workshop. Even though, based on this message, the skin check is my top priority this week, another part of my brain is still playing it way too cool. Maybe I’ll schedule it for the week after, when it’s less stressful …
It’s so easy, putting things off — dicing with death the way we all do, whenever we write a list of things that we effectively rate more highly than the only thing that matters: staying alive to enjoy it all.
I challenge you, before you click away:
Please pick up the phone and make a GP’s appointment for a check-up, or for any tests you’ve been putting off.
Because there’s no ‘bliss’ and no ‘work’ without ‘life’. It’s that simple.
- Emma | 
