If there are two sad truths to life I have learned they are (1) that we don’t truly understands what matters in life until something terrible happens and (2) that we tend to exaggerate our problems in life.

Nothing has shown me the importance of family like losing a pivotal member, just like nothing has shown the importance of friends and fun until you are back home and most of your friends are scattered across the country.

Then there are our “problems” from the lady at Tim Hortons making our coffee the wrong way to the customer who aggravates us to no end.

Whatever the case may be, we don’t have to wait for something terrible to happen for us to really see what matters. I found this out by reading a book, Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic. The man was born without limbs, but even without arms and legs, this man has found a way to make his life utterly passionate.

He doesn’t consider himself disabled, in fact he finds himself fully enabled to help change the world one life at a time.  In fact, Nick has found a way to do just about anything that a person with arms and legs can do, which shows that nothing is impossible.

But what I find most astonishing is that he has been able to find faith, hope, compassion, love, courage, resilience and humor in his struggles. This has allowed him to create a truly amazing life that has allowed others to see the pettiness in the problems we face, but also the courage to blaze a trail for the most amazing life we can possibly live.  That is truly the best gift someone can give another person: passion and inspiration to live the best life imaginable.

I know next time I get frustrated with the person who cut me off, or when my financial aid gets messed up, I’ll take a deep breath and say “let go of the stupid.” After all, it is not those things like a coffee order or a bad driver that determine our path in life, it is choosing how we deal with them, and I think letting them go and always having the bigger picture in mind is just what Nick would think was a pretty amazing outlook for life.

Let go of the stupid and hold on to what truly matters.