I’m a motivational speaker. And one of the lessons I love sharing with people is the story of Ric Elias who was on Flight 1549, along with 154 other passengers and crew. Because it’s such a powerful WAKE UP CALL!
Brace for Impact!
On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, causing both engines to fail.
With no power and no chance of returning to an airport, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger decided to land the plane on the Hudson River. He lined up the plane with the Hudson and he turned off the engines. Imagine being on a plane with no sound. And then he said three words, “Brace for impact”.
155 people were on this flight. Ric Elias was one of them.
Ric Elias was on US Airways Flight 1549. Like everyone else on the plane, he thought, “This is it, my time is up”. Staring death in the face, he thought about his life and realised three things:
- It all changes in an instant. We have these things we want to do, one day, someday. Live your life with a sense of urgency and don’t postpone anything.
- Don’t waste your time on things that don’t matter with people that matter. Eliminate negative energy. Stop having to be right, and choose to be happy.
- The only thing that matters in life is being a great parent and a decent human being.
Imagine you were on Flight 1549.
Imagine the same thing happens on your next flight. I really fucking hope not, but it could. There are people alive today who won’t be tomorrow, and they don’t know it yet. Fact!
So imagine that, and how would you change?
- What would you get done that you’re waiting to get done because you think you’ll be here forever?
- How would you change your relationships and the negative energy in them?
- Are you being the best parent and human being you can?
Death, when properly considered, is the ultimate motivator. Because if there’s one truth in this world, it’s that our time is limited. We just don’t know how limited.
