What a great day this was! My buddies and I took a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado, to celebrate our 50th birthdays. I was in the best shape of my life. Four of us climbed to the summit of Quandary Peak. It is one of the 53 Fourteeners in Colorado. We had boots on the trail by 530 a.m. We did have to hustle down the mountain after we took this picture because if you linger at the summit, you risk being struck by lightning when the afternoon storms inevitably come.
Obviously, we made it back alive, but little did I know the storm that almost took my life was two months away.
Yesterday was September 26, 2026. It also happened to be the eighth anniversary of the day I found myself in an Arkansas hospital fighting for my life. After battling unexplained high fevers for two weeks, I had surgery that night to remove a bacterial infection that had traveled from my lungs to my brain.
Brain surgery was never in my plan. But eight years later, I can say that I am thankful for it.
Thankful, Tarek, really? You’ll have to explain. I’d be happy to. Because it’s the entire point of this post.
You see, before that day, I bought into the idea that outward success would bring internal fulfillment. Yet as I was recovering at home for three months after the surgery, I had nothing but time to think about what my life truly meant and what I was put on this earth to do. God spoke to me through prayer, family, friends, music, and many tears. Over time, I realized that I’d gotten it all wrong.
Concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl said it well:
If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering.
Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death.
I was determined to extract meaning from my experience. I want to share a few things I learned:
A life worth living points toward others. Before this event, I was too focused on myself. Afterward, I had to make my life about adding value to other people, not just myself. Success is about me alone. Significance is about the legacy I leave in others’ lives.
We are here for a short time, and I want my life to count. You may die with a huge, medium, or small pile of money, but one thing is sure: we all die. I want to live for something greater than maximizing my own comfort.
We all have scars. I have one on the right side of my head that constantly reminds me God kept me here for a reason bigger than myself. You have scars too. Some are on the inside. They don’t disqualify you. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. You're standing on the foundation of all your life experiences, and that qualifies you to share something of value with the world.
I don’t care where you’ve been or what lies have been spoken to you about not living up to your potential. You were born to do more than store up wealth and live a comfortable, safe life. You were born to do something great with your life.
It’s never too late. And you’re not too old.
Wherever you are right now, I offer this as a prayer for you. May you know that you are loved and cherished by your Creator. May you know without a doubt that you were made for a great purpose. That, in fact, you were created to do something significant with your life. And please don’t confuse significance with the applause of crowds, real or virtual. I’m talking about the kind of impact that makes you feel alive inside. Something that would cause you to know without a doubt that you’re fulfilling the purpose you were made for.
Thanks for reading. See you next Sunday.
If you enjoyed this post, the best compliment I could receive is that you would share it with people you care about. Thank you!