Intersections of Life

“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience,” said Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Is your life a colorful hero’s journey?  Some people give very serious attention to their goal.  Setting intention, growth goals, education, and joining associations aligned with their goal – they do it all to guarantee success. They may be working to succeed, but may be not wishing to have too colorful a journey. Destiny brings it in “living” color anyway!
What do I mean by color in life?  I mean challenges, surprises, tragedies, conflicts, and challenges or problems. These experiences pop up, temporarily causing us to stumble on the way to our dream.
Even careful, analytical people who are disciplined and confident, taking every care in the world to do things right, can find themselves running up against obstacles. Obstacles could almost stop us … if we were stoppable. Humans can be amazing in the way they get up and keep going!   Here is how one young man used his discipline, confidence, and dedication to his dream and found his dream revealed … in a more colorful way.
He is a student in his late 20’s. It was a major decision to seek an education, and go back to school. Since he is pursuing a professional degree he’s taking on student debt, but that’s okay, because that can be managed after he is fully employed in his passion. In addition to his full time studies, he also entered an international contest in his field, requiring effort equivalent to another class. His 100{8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c} focus is to become the professional he wants to be, and he joins organizations that support that focus. His intention is to be successful! Every item on his calendar is geared to his goal.
As a student in a Masters program, he sought a summer internship to work towards the additional 5200 hours he needed before he could move into the profession. He sent out multiple resumes, customizing them for each employer, and including all the information requested – online and in the mail. He got excited when he was called for an interview with an intern position in California. He gathered up his portfolio, made sure his suit was ready, and was prepared and excited for the afternoon when the HR person would come to Portland to interview him.
In the Intersections of Life

The morning of the interview, he headed out on his bike as usual to the campus.  Beautiful day!  He was accustomed to enjoying the Portland bike friendly atmosphere.  Special lanes set aside for the people on bikes, and beautiful places, like the Waterfront in Downtown Portland to remind him that he could stop and enjoy the fountains, the people, the urban comfort.
Then, out of life’s corner comes a car … turning left … into his path.  The student saw the car, and realized in a split second he was going to be hit!
What does one do in a microsecond? You remember what Holmes said: “A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”
“I realized she was going to hit me,” he said, “and there was nothing I could do. So, I let go of the handlebars and sailed in the air.”
The driver struck the bike, and the student landed on the street, hitting his head and shoulder and knees, but he rolled with the fall.  Bike was totaled.  Helmet was totaled. He was scraped up, but okay.
“In that moment after I let myself go, I was flying in the air, and my eyes met those of a woman sitting with her breakfast. She sat at a table at the restaurant on the corner of the intersection. She saw me. I felt the air current, and my body knew when to crouch. It was awesome!” Yes, he got hurt, but the energy of the moment held a different meaning. He let go of what he had no control over, and took control over his mindset.  Dazed after the accident, he walked his broken bike into a shop and hiked over 7 miles to the campus.  His day still had a plan. Focused.
“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience,” said Oliver Wendell Holmes.
An Unconscious Decision?
In a split second before life’s color hit him … he realized, chose, and acted. This student has been studying physics, math, and rode his bike with a helmet.  All that effort and learning paid off in an instant!  The helmet and jacket in his backpack saved his life, he later noted.  Yet, it was so much more.  In his university study, he prepared himself for the life’s colorful moment. In his preparation for the bike ride, he prepared himself. In his mind he kept himself positively focused.
“To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life.” – Samuel Johnson
Here’s a thought to carry with us:  All your experiences and learning can add up in a split second and give you what you need. At the intersections of life, be alive! Consider your “colorful” moments. Step back, review them, and consider all the growth you gained in your life to contribute to one moment. You are more than you know!
Opportunity
Ask yourself this question:  What are the places in my life where I show up in my wholeness?  Listen to the story in your heart.  As a coach, I am available to help heroes on their journey. Are you wanting to get started on your dreams?  I’m here for those who are courageous enough to walk through the door and leave the world behind. Make the call.
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Happy Ending:  Student is doing fine, enjoying an internship to keep him on the path, and looking forward to life …  every minute.  Now, it’s your turn!