What Would You Do With Your "Take Two"?
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
The day was January 15, 2009—now 16 years ago—when U.S. Airways flight 1549 landed deftly in New York’s Hudson River, at the hands of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger. The passenger jet had suffered massive damage after hitting a flock of birds, and its fate was doomed, but all 155 crew members and passengers on board survived—and lived to tell about it.
The miracle of that day continues to stick with me, as do all of the decisions that led to a jet landing safely in the Hudson: the big picture decisions AND the split-second decisions that all needed to fall just in line to deliver such an outcome.
Many people who were on that plane have talked in recent years about what that experience did to them, and for them. What they were finally able to see, and right-size, and change in their lives when they were given a “Take 2”.
It's easy to go through each day focused on the to-do’s, jumping from one meeting to the next, putting one foot in front of the other—sometimes without even thinking about where you're headed, or where you've been.
But, if you were given a take 2, who would be the first person you’d call, and what would you say to them? What would you finally stop doing, and what would you start?
And what's holding you back from doing those things on this new day?
Someone very wise said to me, “We won’t be remembered for the actions we didn’t take.” So, if this was the first day of your “Take 2”, what would you do?
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
