Have you ever been close to death? So close that you could feel it's breath...so close that you could feel it approaching you at speed of lightning... but in final moment when you were "ready to go", you realized that it had passed you by... I've had a chance to experience that twice in my life...
There was something very useful that I got from this kind of experience... Suddenly, your life starts seeming lot easier, lot sweeter with all its toubles and problems...
Hierarchy of your values changes: you realize that you are rather a son of your parents or friend of your friends who love you no matter who you are than an employee of your company who "loves" you because you're useful... and you act accordingly...

well, i think i gotta experience that one more time, cuz i'm currently alone in the office working on that fkng neverending project whereas working time was over 6.5 hours ago...