HEALTHWISE COLUMN
The Gift of This Day
January 28, 2026
By Dr. Davidicus Wong
Healthwise is a monthly column by Burnaby family doctor Dr. Davidicus Wong, presented by the Burnaby Primary Care Network in partnership with the Burnaby Division of Family Practice. In this article, Dr. Wong reflects on how we continue to change throughout our lives, and how intentions shape who we become over time.
The human body at peace with itself is more precious than the rarest gem.
Cherish this body. It is yours this one time only.
The human form is won with great difficulty. It is easy to lose.
All worldly things are brief like lightening in the sky.
This life you must see as the tiny splash of a raindrop
A thing of beauty that disappears just as it comes into being.
So set your intention and make use over every day and night to achieve it.
The illusion of the end-of-history fools us all.
Regardless of your age, you will recognize how drastically your values, beliefs, and preferences have changed in the past—but you underestimate how much they will change in the future.
We mistakenly believe that the rate at which we change slows over time. This assumption affects our ability to make decisions and fools us into thinking that ten years into the future, we will be much the same as we are today.
So, if each of us will continue to change over the course of our lives—and as much in the next 20 years as we have in the past 20—what responsibility do we have over how we change?
While we don’t have personal control over major political movements, climate change, good or bad fortune, or many aspects of our health, we do have substantial individual power to shape our future selves.
Recognizing this locus of control is key to emotional well-being. Although we must accept the many things that are beyond our control, identifying those areas of our lives that we can influence in positive ways can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. We are not helpless, and our lives are not hopeless.
We often visualize or fantasize where we would like to be in the future, but ask yourself now: Who do I want to be in 5 or 10 years?
See the change you wish to be. How have you grown? What have you learned? How have your relationships evolved? Can you imagine yourself engaged in doing what matters most?
At the end of our lives, it will seem the years have passed in the blink of an eye.
What will be the highlights that you will remember? The moments when you were fully present in the world and connected with others? What have you learned? How have your perspectives expanded? How did you open your heart?
So set your intention.
Open your mind and learn more. Open your eyes and broaden your views. Open your heart and love more.
With the gift of each precious day, you can be an agent of positive change—in your own life and in the lives of others.
Your future self will thank you.
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About Dr. Davidicus Wong
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician at the PrimeCare Medical Centre. His Healthwise column appeared regularly in the Burnaby Now for over two decades. Now he delivers his monthly wisdom to you via the Burnaby Primary Care Network! You can read more about achieving your positive potential for health at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.