Tuesday, May 26th this week marked the 8 year anniversary of breaking my neck and the gift of perspective that it affords me each and every day is even more pronounced on this day as I reflect on the ridiculous little things that may have annoyed me recently (like the market misbehaving, having a bad hair day, tripping on the way to work, my computer freezing or a colleague stealing of my signature event ideas…but I digress).

 

Of course, we all get stressed. We all get annoyed, frustrated, busy with the minutiae of life – but it’s our ability to take a step back and reflect with the perspective we’ve gained from these life changing experiences that makes the difference. Sure, breaking my neck was a big deal, but we’ve all gone through some sort of adversity and it’s how we get through it that defines us. So, while my computer freezing is hugely annoying in those 74 seconds, the fact that I walked to work this morning is pretty awesome (those who don’t know, I had to learn how to walk again after the surgery – that’s me below post-op).

 

So cheers to the simple and awesome things in life. Things like family, friendship and good health. Or how about the ability to do, see, feel, touch and hear? Or how good is an amazing sleep, delicious food, shelter, human rights, earning a wage, etc… you see where I am going with this.

 

In addition to this incredible perspective, I also learned that I am not invincible. None of us are. My entire plan and world changed in one awkward tumble – this is why planning for the unexpected is an essential aspect of your overall “risk management” plan, aka insurance. If you’re unsure about your insurance coverage (more specifically your living benefits coverage) it’s certainly a conversation worth having before it’s too late…they say that you’re more likely to become disabled than you are to pass away and take it from me, when I broke my neck, I didn’t think twice about my income, my expenses or my portfolio.

 

Speaking of enjoying life, I hosted an amazing event last night at Holt Renfrew, Stocks, Style, Scotch which I will tell you all about next week.