Learning to Appreciate Life: Insights from Hospice Nurse Julie
As the old saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Sadly, this hard truth becomes increasingly evident as we reach our final days. The things we take for granted today—our health, relationships, and time itself—become much more precious when we know they are about to end. How much happier would we be every day if we lived with the perspective of those who are experiencing their final days?
Who Is Hospice Nurse Julie?
Julie McFadden, known to her hundreds of thousands of followers on social media as Hospice Nurse Julie, helps people appreciate their lives by regularly sharing her experiences with those who are living their final days. Her insights come from a deeply human place, filled with lessons that she has gathered over the years.
Recently, she stopped by Rob Moore’s “The Disruptors” podcast, where she shared some of the big lessons she’s learned from the dying. Moore is a public speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of “Life Leverage.” Given his background as an entrepreneur, Moore assumed that when people reach their final days, they regret the amount of time they spend working.
“People definitely say that. ‘I wish I didn’t work my life away. I wish I didn’t wait until retirement to do the things I wanted to do,'” McFadden said. However, there is another big regret that many share.
Appreciating Our Health
“The main thing people say, that I don’t hear a lot of people mention, is ‘I wish I would have appreciated my health,’” she added. “I think the biggest thing I hear from people [who are] dying is that they wish they would have appreciated how well they felt before.”
It seems that when people’s health begins to decline, they miss the vitality they never fully appreciated. “I think most people take for granted things that have always been,” she told Moore. “You know, it’s really easy to forget. We’re so lucky to be alive in this moment. We’re taking a breath right now. We’re here on a rock that’s like soaring through space. I mean, that alone can blow your mind.”
The Natural Cycle of Life
McFadden believes that her profession reminds her to be grateful because dying is just as natural as living. “I think because of my job, it’s easier for me to see how once-in-a-lifetime this is. The fact that everything works together in our bodies to make us live and grow and I see that in-depth, too. I see how our bodies are biologically built to die,” she said. “That, right there, is so fascinating. We literally have built-in mechanisms to help us die. Our body can naturally do it. That’s wild.”
The Practice of Gratitude
To get the most out of the miracle of life, McFadden writes a gratitude list every night so she’s sure to appreciate everything she has. Because, in the blink of an eye, it can be gone. “I like the fact that I can breathe, I’m walking around, I can feel the sunshine – little things like that,” she shared.
Our lives are filled with incredible gifts, whether it’s the people we love, the amazing things our bodies can do, or the places we get to see. But without gratitude, these beautiful gifts can easily go unnoticed and unappreciated. Practicing gratitude allows us to cherish these moments, so we’re fulfilled by what we have, instead of disillusioned by what we don’t.
Final Thoughts
As we navigate through our busy lives, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. The wisdom shared by Hospice Nurse Julie is a gentle reminder to pause and appreciate our health, the people in our lives, and the present moment. It doesn’t require grand gestures—sometimes it’s as simple as taking a deep breath and feeling gratitude for being alive.