“It All Changes In an Instant”

By Brian Anderson

Commentary April 16, 2012 at 01:00 AM

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"It all changes in an instant."

I'm sure you've heard that sentence before, but probably not like you'll hear it from the mouth of Ric Elias.

Elias had a front-row seat on US Airways Flight 1549, famously involved in the "Miracle on the Hudson." The plane successfully ditched in the Hudson River near Manhattan in January 2009, with all 155 aboard surviving. Elias was a speaker at the recent TED2011 event in Long Beach, Calif. For those unfamiliar with TED, it is a nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." The conferences bring together many of the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the "talk of their lives" in 18 minutes or less.

Elias does it in 5 minutes. (Watch the video here or below.)

I came across this inspiring video after the principal of the school where my wife teaches shared it with the school's staff. It's one of those videos that can help you put things in perspective and isolate what's really important in your own life.

When you are aboard a plane that you know is going to crash momentarily, fully expecting the impact will end your life, what would your final thoughts be about? Elias shared his, and the story of how that experience changed his renewed life.

He shares some great insights ("I no longer try to be right — I choose to be happy."), but in the seconds before the impact he really only wished for one thing: "I only wish I could see my kids grow up."

Now it would be easy here to make the life insurance connection, but I would rather just encourage you watch the short video and reflect on your own priorities for a minute. It just might brighten your outlook personally and professionally.

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