Well. Well? Well!
I’ve recently had an anniversary. Not one that I necessarily celebrate, but certainly one I like to note. It was 10 years ago that I left my workplace because I had pushed myself to the point of injury and illness. On that day, my arms were so weak I had to use both hands just to move my mouse, working to finish a “very important” project. A colleague finally said what I couldn’t: “You need to stop. Your health is more important than anything else.”
She was right. I spent five months off work, unable to do even basic tasks. Since then, I’ve spent a decade reshaping my life around the reality of chronic pain and a long-term disability.
What did I learn? So. Many. Things. But most of all, that health is the foundation of everything else. When it’s gone, nothing else – no job, no goal, no amount of success – matters much. Without wellness, we can’t truly thrive.
That’s why wellness is another one of my core values.
Ironically, I’ve spent most of my career helping others improve their wellbeing. But I wasn’t walking my own talk. I was too busy, too needed, too distracted, too… everything. Sound familiar?
It took a full stop – one that hit like a ton of bricks—to reset my perspective.
Now, I no longer dabble in wellness. I commit to it daily. Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual – I nurture all sides. Not just to stay strong, but to build the resilience, clarity, and joy I need to live fully. And to be ready, should life throw another curveball, to face it from a place of strength.
So, here’s my invitation today: Pause. Check in. Is wellness truly a value for you? Are there areas you’ve been neglecting? What would it look like to give your health the same priority you give everything else?
Because when you protect your wellness, everything else in life stands to gain. It’s the ultimate win-win.
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Thank you for sharing this personal journey, Marla. So often, we tend to overlook our wellness, even though it’s the foundation of a fulfilling and richer life. The noise of the modern world-the push for productivity and efficiency included-often seems to pull us away from the very foundational elements. I have spent so many years buried in "urgent" tasks and junk food (I had no time and energy to even prepare salad). I don’t even remember what those tasks were, but my health has been a constant companion. Thank you for the reminder to pause and check in…to celebrate my body and wellness, and to reflect on the areas I may have been neglecting.