The funny thing about being under the weather is the bizarre yearning that comes with it.

Not just a yearning to feel better, but for me, it’s a yearning to do better.

It might be the fuzzy head, the medicated train of thought or the stuffy nose, but whatever it is, it contributes tenfold to wanting to be better. A better person, a better contributor, a better life-liver.

An episode of Sex and the City that I’ve seen many times before makes me vow to be better to myself, not to mention better in the dating category. A show about hunting for gold in the Bering Sea makes me promise to go on more adventures. A cooking show inspires travel, tolerance and trust in the world.

On healthier days, inspiration comes from all angles — people, places, music, food. Little things about little things take on new meaning, while little things about big things can shift your beliefs.

But on the sick days, I find that it’s the everyday that can affect the rest of your days.

What causes the shift in your perspective? And what do you do with that shift?

Tonight I am thankful for unexpectedly seeing things in a new way and for the yearning that has accompanied ordinary things. Acting upon them will surely lead to the extraordinary.