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Our Life | Наше життя December | Грудень 2020 23 As I was thinking about a topic for this issue of Our Life , I recalled the famous commencement speech Steve Jobs gave at Stanford University in 2005. The founder of Apple computers said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” What Jobs was referring to in this statement was his belief that you can only recognize significant mo - ments/interactions in your life in retrospect. Retro - spect, by definition, allows us to look backward. But it also helps us to look ahead. The point is that you can’t always recognize the moment when something or someone will become truly important in your life. You may come to realize this only in the future. Part of that future is now, as we deal with the ongo - ing issues related to Covid. This pandemic, in fact, has changed the entire world and has challenged us in many ways. But, hopefully, it has also made us look at the value of life much more positively because it has made us realize (or at least pay more attention to) the importance of family, friends, and socialization. These are the “dots” that we may previously have tak - en for granted, including those dots that have shaped some important events or choices or other aspects of our lives. We never know what is in store for us or what the future holds. Those of us who can connect the dots in life will start to notice which of those dots shaped important moments and relationships in our lives. Recognizing these dots and their impact helps us see how truly lucky we are, and this recognition can guide and influence our future behavior in positive ways. So, embrace each day as if it was the most important day of your life. Start with a kind gesture or some pos - itive word or deed, which will boost your own enthusi - asm. This contagious behavior may prompt the recipi - ent, in turn, to pass it on forward. And don’t forget to keep gratitude at the top of your daily to-do list. Ex - press it through some simple task like calling a friend and letting them know the value of that friendship. Even a simple “thank you” is a manifestation of a com - mitment toward those who are important to us. It also helps us understand how connected we are to others. Take a moment each day to recognize who played a key role in your life. Who made you better? Who pushed you to be your best? Who was there when you really needed someone? Who was always “there”? These are our personal holiday blessings. It has been quite a challenging year, and I close this column with the hope that this Christmas season will show us all the good there is in life and in the rela - tionships we have or will form. Stay well, stay pos - itive, and remember to connect with new dots and reconnect with all the old dots. With this as a plan of action, we will all emerge stronger and ready for anything that comes our way. Ihor Magun, MD, FACP DOTS
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