I had a revelation recently. Shocking, I know. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own stuff that we forget all the things going on around us. We see everything through the smudged lens of our personal experience.

For me, it came with a hospitalization a few weeks ago. I returned to work and when asked how I spent the holiday weekend, I replied “in the hospital.” Responses varied from “oh my gosh!” to “what are you doing at work?” The whole time I was thinking “so what?”

You need to understand that I spend a lot of time both at doctor’s appointments and in the hospital. This week, I had 5 appointments. I average 2-3 every week. It’s my life now. I don’t even give it a second thought. When I was asked what I was doing on my day off, I replied “going to 4 doctor’s appointments.” The conversation stopped.

I now realize that my normal is not even close to “normal.” For most people, my life sounds like a major health crisis. It is. However, I don’t live like it is any different from “normal” because this is my normal. My lens doesn’t magnify my health because I choose to focus on other aspects of my life. Does this mean I’m not ill? Nope. Just that I’ve accepted where I’m at and kept moving forward.

Your challenge: Think about how you look at things. Is that drama really as dramatic to everyone else? I’m reminded of people in my past who reacted to events like the apocalypse had happened. I think about people in my life now who are wringing their hands over flat tires while I’m learning that I may have a ninth “rare disorder” that may very well change my entire life from the ground up. Keep things in perspective. Keep your lens aperture open wide.