Imagine you’ve just been told that you have less than six months to live.

• What do you need to do? 
• Who do you need to talk to? 
• Where do you need to visit? 
• How will you spend your remaining time? 

These are all questions that Lee Lipsenthal, author of Enjoy Every Sandwich, asked me and some friends after he’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. As he led us through a visualization of our own deaths, I felt my life slow way down. All the hustle and busy-ness no longer seemed very important.

My life, and everything wonderful about it, was put into stark perspective. I felt deep gratitude where only moments before, I’d felt stressed and exhausted. Sometimes we get trapped in a way of thinking that curbs our happiness; often a dramatic change in perspective can help. Lee wrote:

Some cures require a radical intervention of the soul: a change in our mindset and our way of being. These cures require us to stop racing through our busy lives, working, providing, and consuming. Some cures require that we stop and enjoy every sandwich.

Are the holidays starting to exhaust you? If so, try radically shifting your perspective.

Take Action: What if this was your last holiday season? Who would you spend your time with? What would you be sure to really savor?

Join the Discussion: What will you do today to “enjoy every sandwich”? Inspire others in the comments below.

If this Happiness Tip intrigues or inspires you, I think you’d like my new book, The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work. You might also like my manifesto for enjoying life more — read it, or download it free here.

Photo courtesy of Adrian Dressler.