When Little Things Bring You to Your Knees (Literally)

It only took 3 millimeters to bring me to my knees.

Not metaphorically, physically, emotionally, all of it. A 3mm kidney stone lodged itself in my body like a cosmic joke, and later I found myself sedated, strapped to an IV, and waiting for emergency surgery.

The smallest thing I’ve ever seen… completely stopped me.

Before I explain what it taught me, I want to clarify something from my last post. I mentioned writing an article from my hospital bed. I realized it perceived me as trying to prove some twisted loyalty to discipline like pushing through pain and sticking to a writing habit was something to glorify.

It wasn’t.

I didn’t write because I had to. I wrote because I wanted to.

It was a momentary escape from the reality of being poked, prodded, and looped into a haze of painkillers. Writing gave me a tiny sliver of normalcy when everything else felt off. And in no way should it be confused with the idea that our goals or jobs should override our health.

Let me say this clearly:

When your body tells you to stop—stop!

That nagging voice in the back of your head? The one telling you to go lie down, take a break, watch something stupid, or just be still? Sometimes, that's not procrastination. That’s your nervous system waving a white flag.

And if you ignore it long enough, trust me, it’ll get louder.

When I was hospitalized, my real-world job piled up. Deadlines, emails, projects. And guilt started to creep in, I thought maybe I should try to respond, maybe help out here and there.

Then it hit me:

If I don’t take care of myself first, I can’t take care of anything, or anyone else.

 I set an out-of-office reply, gave myself permission to step away, and focused on getting better.

In between IV drips, I wrote. But not for productivity. For myself.

The 3mm Wake-Up Call

That tiny little beast knocked me down harder than any deadline ever could. And it reminded me that it's not always the big things, ike a car crash, job loss, or family tragedy, that derail us. It’s often the little things we ignore:

• Skipping lunch to answer one more email.
• Burning the midnight oil to finish a project.
• Nodding yes when your whole body wants to scream no.

These aren’t acts of strength.

They’re tiny betrayals. And left unchecked, they pile up, until one day, they knock you flat.

"Sleep alone isn't enough to prevent burnout," says internal medicine physician and rest researcher Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. "We need seven distinct types of rest—physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. When any area is neglected, exhaustion accumulates until our bodies force us to stop through breakdown or illness."

I learned this lesson the hard way.

I don’t know if my kidney stone came from stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, or just bad luck.

But I do know this: since starting this blog, I no longer chase goals like I used to.

I protected my “yes” like it was a Bitcoin in 2008.

And my “no”? It’s rolling off the tongue these days, sometimes with a smile

Now, I carefully choose where my time and energy go. Projects that deserve my full attention get it. But only if they align with my personal values, and only if they serve me first because helping yourself isn’t selfish. It’s survival. It’s the only way I can sustainably show up for others.

And here’s the shift: I now spend guilt-free time on the things that bring me joy, like this blog and working on my other side hustle projects. I'm slowly rebuilding routines around health: eating better, moving more, and spending time with the people I love.

These are small changes. But they’re shaping a much bigger and better future.

Enjoying the journey so far?
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Small Things That Make a Big Difference

Here are a few practical ways to keep the small stuff from becoming life-stopping:

• Check In With Yourself Daily:
  Ask: How am I really feeling? Tired? Stressed? Ignored? Listen to the answer, then act on it.
• Learn to Say No (Without Guilt):
  Treat your “yes” like currency. Invest it wisely. Protect your bandwidth the way you'd protect your bank account.
• Schedule Real Rest, Not Fake Breaks:
  Scrolling social media isn’t rest. Build real downtime into your life: walks, naps, quiet time, laughter, sunsets.
• Hydrate and Move:
  Simple, obvious, and often ignored. Drink the water. Move your body. Small, consistent choices that pay off in big ways.
• Celebrate Tiny Wins:
  Progress doesn’t always need fireworks. Showing up for yourself in small ways is worth celebrating.

What you do today, no matter how tiny, will shape what happens tomorrow.

Ignore the small stuff, and it might come back louder. Or sharper. Or, in my case, shaped like a jagged little stone.

You don’t want to learn that lesson the hard way.
Trust me, I’ve been on the hospital floor, screaming for morphine.

But here’s the good news:
You don’t have to hit the floor to make a change.
You can start small, right now. One tiny choice, one gentle “no,” one glass of water, one quiet moment for yourself.

It doesn’t take much to shift the story.

And sometimes, the smallest things end up making the biggest difference.

If this resonates with you, forward it to someone who might need the reminder. Or just drop a comment and let me know what your 3mm moment was. We’ve all had one.

Drink water. Say no. Stay off the hospital floor.