Columbia Students Once Rallied Against Nazis — Now They Cheer for Them
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Right before New Year’s, thousands of people mistakenly received a message that they had a life-threatening illness.
A few days before New Year’s, Sarah Hargreaves was out shopping when she received a text message from Askern Medical Practice, her GP’s office, informing her that she has an aggressive lung cancer with metastases, a type of secondary malignant growth. The text directed her to fill out a DS1500 form, which enables those with terminal diseases to claim certain benefits.
Sarah, who lives in the UK, froze. She had been awaiting her medical test results and fell apart after receiving the news.
Describing that moment, she said, “I felt sick to my teeth, and broke down.”
One hour later, the office informed her that the text was sent in error, and they had actually meant to wish everyone a Happy New Year.
Oops.
Askern Medical Practice mistakenly sent this text to 8,000 people. Their phone started ringing off the hook and no one was able to get through for clarification.
The relief – and rage – were palpable when the recipients realized it was all a mistake.
New Year’s is a time for self-reflection and making resolutions. A story like this can help put life into perspective. It forces one to re-prioritize and really think about the meaning and purpose of life.
I was horrified when I read about this story. I immediately started thinking about how I would react to receiving a text like this – and how relieved I would feel to know it was a mistake. It got me to think about my life’s priorities. But then, like most moments of inspiration, I let the thought pass me by and float away.
How many times do we read something tragic or shocking, and then just sigh and move on to our next email?
Nope. Not today. Not this time. I was determined to crystalize my inspiration and do something about it. Here’s my thinking about my priorities and what I did after reading this story. You can do this exercise too, and concretize the inspiration into something real and useful.
Studies reveal that one of the biggest regrets people share on their deathbed is that they didn’t have another child or spend more quality time with their family. Most people do not lament on their deathbed that they didn’t spend more hours at the office.
Question to ponder:< If you had one day left to live, what would you do during your last hours on Earth?
Action for today:
Hug your child/ spouse/ parent <today!< Hold them close, and tell them how much you love them.
Deep down, we all wonder, Why am I here, and how can I better myself and the world?
Rabbi Noah Weinberg always said, “If you don’t know what you’re living for, you aren’t really living. If you don’t know what you would die for, you aren’t really living.”
Question to ponder: What is your life’s mission statement that encapsulates your purpose in life?
Action for today:
Determine one small action you can do today that is a step towards fulfilling your purpose, and do it.
We don’t need a terrifying text to remind us that our time on Earth is limited. As the new year begins, consider what your priorities are, recalibrate, and start living by them—today.
