Updated Aug 27th, 2024

“What’s Important Now?” Revisited

“Every day during our personal and professional lives we are faced with a number of critical choices and decisions. Our responses to those choices, the decisions we make, have a lasting impact on our health, our relationships, our careers and our finances. In order for us to achieve excellence in our lives we must ask ourselves this simple, but powerful question throughout every day – What’s Important Now?”

– Brian Willis, Life’s Most Important Question

 What stops you in your tracks?

Something that causes you to pause a moment and say to yourself, “Hmmm…this is important. What might I be wise to take from this moment?”

In other words, a reality check.

A few years ago, my day was momentarily halted…when I smack in the middle of completing a work task. I was e-mailing a few of my Etsy shop customers to let them know about a new product we had just launched. Since they had previously purchased similar products from me in the past, I thought they might be interest in our latest offering.

I was right; some customers were interested – and placed an order for the new product.

What I hadn’t banked on, however, was a heartfelt e-mail exchange with one of my favourite customers.

“Thank you for letting me know about the new quote card set, Maryanne,” she e-mailed back. “I will be sure to check those out! I am a little busy at the moment because I was just diagnosed with stage four esophagus cancer and am undergoing pretty aggressive treatment.”

My heart sank.

Her next sentence broke my heart: “But I will be ordering more of your Life After Loss quote cards,” she wrote, “because they are a perfect gift to give to people at the funeral.”

The funeral?

I had to read that line twice before I realized she was referring to her funeral.

This stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t know this woman. We’d never met. We’d never spoken on the phone. All I knew about her was that she had purchased multiple products from my Etsy shop over the years. So I liked her!

But after that e-mail exchange, I did get to know her a little better. We kept in touch via Instagram and loved seeing the photos she posted of her family and garden. I checked in with her periodically and she kept me up to date on her progress with the cancer treatment. I loved how honest she was about the horrors of chemo…and how incredibly difficult it was to be preparing to leave the people she loved.

None of us know what’s around the next corner – either in our own life, the lives of our loved ones, or in the lives of people we barely know…and yet whose paths have crossed with ours for some reason.

My Etsy customer passed away within the year. I suspect our paths crossed as a powerful reminder to me to pause a moment – every single day – and give thanks for my health…for I am blessed beyond belief in that department. 

I think it was also a reminder to ask myself this question, multiple times throughout my day:

“What’s Important NOW?”

One of my mentors, Brian Willis, shared this powerful question with me years ago. I have blogged about it in the past (links to those blogs are at the bottom) and have shared it with many people over the years.

Here is the link to Brian’s site, “Life’s Most Powerful Question.”

The question is brilliant…because it works to help keep us on track with what is REALLY important to get done today – not just what’s next on our to-do list.

Who do I need to text or book a time to chat with? Who could use a listening ear? Who could I send an encouraging (or congratulatory) e-mail, text or card to?

Or perhaps unplugging for a quiet day of writing, resting, reflecting and walking on the beach, or in the woods, is what I need most right now…so I can refill my tank.

We cannot wave a magic wand of good health for all. But we can take a moment to observe (and have empathy for) the challenging journey of others to help us remember what really matters in our own lives…and then perhaps ask ourselves: “What’s Important Now?”

Then do whatever it is we need to do next. For every moment counts…let’s make each one matter 😊

Related Blogs by Maryanne

The Question that Took Me to Chicago

Prioritizing: What’s Important NOW?

Maryanne Pope is the author of “A Widow’s Awakening.” She also writes screenplays, playscripts & blogs. Maryanne is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Co-Founder of  the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive her blog, “Weekly Words of Wisdom,” please subscribe here. And be sure to visit our PinkGazelleCards Etsy shop.