I think there are two events that shaped my framework for decision making more than others: the first of these is that when I was four, my father dropped dead. He went to work in the morning, felt sick at work, had an aneurysm, and the next time I saw him was in a coffin. Though I was really young, I remember that time very well, and I think this forever cemented in my mind that work might be what you are doing on the last day of your life.

The second major event is that, in my freshman year of college, I went in for a routine health check up and ended up being diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, which is located smack in the middle of your brain. I won’t go into details of what that was like, but much like my dad’s death altered my path forever, I learned that circumstances can change much faster than you anticipate. It took me much longer to learn the accompanying lesson that this event should have taught me, which is to prioritize and safeguard your health. 

Determining Your Values
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That concludes the death and illness portion of the essay– 