When I was 17, I read a quotethatwentsomethinglike, Ifyouliveeachdayasifitwasyourlast, somedayyou'llmostcertainlyberight.
Itmadeanimpressiononme, andsincethen, forthepast 33 years, I'velookedinthemirroreverymorningandaskedmyselfiftodaywerethelastdayofmylife, would I wanttodowhat I amabouttodotoday?
Andwhenevertheanswerhasbeennofortoomanydaysin a row, I know I needtochangesomething.
Laterthatevening, I had a biopsywheretheystuckanendoscopedownmythroat, throughmystomachandintomyintestines, put a needleintomypancreasandgot a fewcellsfromthetumor.
I wassedated, butmywife, whowasthere, toldmethatwhentheyviewedthecellsunder a microscope, thedoctorsstartedcryingbecauseitturnedouttobe a veryrareformofpancreaticcancerthatiscurablewithsurgery.
I hadthesurgery, andthankfully, I'm finenow.
Thiswastheclosest I'vebeentofacingdeath, and I hopeit's theclosest I getfor a fewmoredecades.
Havinglivedthroughit, I cannowsaythistoyouwith a bitmorecertaintythanwhendeathwas a usefulbutpurelyintellectualconcept.