---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I live every day knowing that today might…"
description: "\"“I live every day knowing that today might be the day that my cancer returns. But rather than look at this as a horrific cross to bear, I call it my gi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg"
---

#  I live every day knowing that today might be the day that…

![“I live every day knowing that today might be the day that my cancer returns. But rather than look at this as a horrific cross to bear, I call it my gift, a constant reminder of just how lucky I am to be healthy and alive. After all, what is joy without sorrow? What is success without failure? What…” quote by Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg)

> ““I live every day knowing that today might be the day that my cancer returns. But rather than look at this as a horrific cross to bear, I call it my gift, a constant reminder of just how lucky I am to be healthy and alive. After all, what is joy without sorrow? What is success without failure? What is a win without a loss? What is health without illness? You have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. There is always going to be suffering. It's how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.””

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker frames illness as a reminder of health, suggesting that appreciating joy, success, and health requires experiencing their opposites, and that one's attitude toward suffering shapes identity.

**In simple terms:** Illness highlights health; attitude toward suffering defines you.

Key Takeaway

Embrace hardship as a catalyst for gratitude.

Themes

gratitude resilience perspective health suffering

Mood

reflective hopeful determined

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- cancer treatment
- daily mindfulness
- support groups
- personal growth
- therapy

Key Concepts

Stoicism psychology mindset

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you find balance between acknowledging pain and seeking positivity?
- What practices help you reframe hardship without denying its difficulty?

A Different Perspective

The view may overlook those who cannot find meaning in suffering, risking toxic positivity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/)

## Related quotes

> [what is joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a loss? what is health without illness? you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/what-is-joy-without-sorrow-what-is-success-without-failure-what-is-a/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [If you look at the language of illness, you can use it to describe race - you could experience race as an illness. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/if-you-look-at-the-language-of-illness-you-can-use-it-to-describe/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [“One of Barron’s maxims is “The sure sign that God is alive in you is joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/one-of-barron-s-maxims-is-the-sure-sign-that-god-is-alive-in-you-is/)

[Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/)

> [The surest sign that God is alive in you is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-surest-sign-that-god-is-alive-in-you-is-joy/)

[Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/)

> [There is no joy other than the joy of creating. There is no man who is truly alive other than one who is creating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-rolland/there-is-no-joy-other-than-the-joy-of-creating-there-is-no-man-who-is/)

[Romain Rolland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-rolland/)

> [“I am grateful to be alive. It is my joy and pleasure to live another wonderful day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grant/i-am-grateful-to-be-alive-it-is-my-joy-and-pleasure-to-live-another/)

Andy Grant

> [I wake up so full of life and feeling so alive and so full of joy when I get to go to a set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-swank/i-wake-up-so-full-of-life-and-feeling-so-alive-and-so-full-of-joy/)

[Hilary Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-swank/)

> [If I weren’t already dead, I’d be alive with joy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/if-i-weren-t-already-dead-i-d-be-alive-with-joy/)

[Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/)

> [Happiness is never a negative affair; it is to be won by men who are fully alive, full of the joy of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aga-khan-iii/happiness-is-never-a-negative-affair-it-is-to-be-won-by-men-who-are/)

[Aga Khan III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aga-khan-iii/)

> [Hate Together With love, joy Together with sorrow, Cry Together With Laughter, Life Together With Death, and Lose Together With Gets, Something With All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/hate-together-with-love-joy-together-with-sorrow-cry-together-with/)

Mak\_786

> [“The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-great-scene-of-grief-in-which-the-wild-infant-bore-a-part-had/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/joy-and-sorrow-are-inseparable-together-they-come-and-when-one-sits/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [There is a joy in sorrow which none but a mourner can know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/there-is-a-joy-in-sorrow-which-none-but-a-mourner-can-know/)

[Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/)

> [Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the self-same well from which your laughter rises was often-times filled with your tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/your-joy-is-your-sorrow-unmasked-and-the-self-same-well-from-which/)

[Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/)

> [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

## More by Scott Hamilton

> [“The only handicap in life is a bad attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/the-only-handicap-in-life-is-a-bad-attitude/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [“What's the point of doing anything if it's easy? It's so much more valuable when a challenge has to be overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/what-s-the-point-of-doing-anything-if-it-s-easy-it-s-so-much-more/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [“Focus on building up others, and your own sense of self-worth will improve. Some call these random acts of human kindness. But the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/focus-on-building-up-others-and-your-own-sense-of-self-worth-will/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [But I never really thought that I would be extraordinarily successful at skating, it's just something that happened, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/but-i-never-really-thought-that-i-would-be-extraordinarily-successful/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [“I learned that once you take advantage of the opportunity to learn and experience and open yourself to a new way of living, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/i-learned-that-once-you-take-advantage-of-the-opportunity-to-learn/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/most-other-competitions-are-individual-achievements-but-the-olympic/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [That's what makes the Ryder Cup in golf so much better than the Masters or the U.S. Open. To be a part of something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/that-s-what-makes-the-ryder-cup-in-golf-so-much-better-than-the/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [“it doesn't matter what the challenge is -athletics, business, romance, health, academics, the arts- the rule for getting up is the same. you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/it-doesn-t-matter-what-the-challenge-is-athletics-business-romance/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [Always try to maintain complete tolerance and always make an effort to give people more than they expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/always-try-to-maintain-complete-tolerance-and-always-make-an-effort/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [From the fall of October, 1980 to March, 1984 I never lost a competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/from-the-fall-of-october-1980-to-march-1984-i-never-lost-a-competition/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [“The only disability in life is a bad attitude. -Scott Hamilton”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/the-only-disability-in-life-is-a-bad-attitude-scott-hamilton/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [When you're expected to win and you have the press saying that you are going to win the Olympic gold medal, and you're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/when-you-re-expected-to-win-and-you-have-the-press-saying-that-you/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [Male figure skating is different than female figure skating; we're not America's sweetheart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/male-figure-skating-is-different-than-female-figure-skating-we-re-not/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [Always try to maintain complete tolerance and always make an effort to give people more then they expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/always-try-to-maintain-complete-tolerance-and-always-make-an-effort-2/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

> [Half of figure skating is opinion, convincing judges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/half-of-figure-skating-is-opinion-convincing-judges/)

[Scott Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

[Explore all 46 Scott Hamilton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/)

## More Every day quotes

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

Alison James

> [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/)

[Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/)

> [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/)

[Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think naturally I've been kind of a lead-by-doing guy. Just showing up to work every day. You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/)

[Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/)

> [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/)

[Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/)

> [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. I keep pushing forward, keep working hard every day, keep my head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-daniels/being-under-recruited-coming-out-of-highland-i-ve-carried-that-with/)

[Mike Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-daniels/)

> [“(one would say yes, if not every day, at least fairly regularly), whether only for yourself or also for others (often only for yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/one-would-say-yes-if-not-every-day-at-least-fairly-regularly-whether/)

[Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/)

> [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/)

[Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/)

> [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/)

[Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/)

> [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/)

[Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/)

> [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/)

[George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/)

> [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

Browse all 16,614 Every day quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I live every day knowing that today might be the day that my cancer returns. But rather than look at this as a horrific cross to bear, I call it my gift, a constant reminder of just how lucky I am to be healthy and alive. After all, what is joy without sorrow? What is success without failure? What is a win without a loss? What is health without illness? You have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. There is always going to be suffering. It's how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Hamilton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-might-be-the-day-that-my-cancer/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Every day"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-might-be-the-day-that-my-cancer/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/scott-hamilton-14448_every-day_i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-migh_1270479.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I live every day knowing that today might be the day that my cancer returns. But rather than look at this as…” — Scott Hamilton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Scott Hamilton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hamilton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I live every day knowing that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-might-be-the-day-that-my-cancer/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hamilton/i-live-every-day-knowing-that-today-might-be-the-day-that-my-cancer/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
