 The Clarity of a Heart Attack
by Dr. Keith E. Webb
August 2008
You've heard it too, reflections from a person who had a near-death experience.
It goes like this: A person working too much and consumed with life has a heart attack or a serious car accident or cancer - something sudden and life threatening. This person is suddenly taken out of his or her normal patterns of life and thrown into a period of recovery, on a hospital bed or on the sofa at home for a few weeks or months.
What do they do? They reflect - on life, on family, on achievements, and most significantly, on regrets and unfulfilled dreams.
Many come away changed. They make life-correcting decisions on how they spend their time, who they invest in, what's important in their lives. Things like:
- Fall in love with my wife again.
- Become my teenager's friend, as well as her mother.
- Do a job that I'm passionate about.
- Have more fun.
- Develop my spiritual being.
- Be there for my kids.
- Invest in others.
In a strange way, I envy these people. I envy their clarity and their ability to make dramatic changes in the trajectory of their lives.
Change While You're Healthy
We don't have to wait for a heart attack to make changes! You can reflect and make changes to your life right now.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- How do you evaluate your life up to this point? What are you pleased with? What do you regret? What dreams are yet unfulfilled?
- What areas of your life need "a dramatic change in trajectory"?
- How do you want to invest your time differently?
Actually making big life changes isn't easy. Meeting regularly with a couple of friends or coach can help the process.
Are you waiting for your heart attack to make significant life changes?
-------Join the dialogue and leave your comments here-------
Copyright © 2008 Keith E. Webb & CRM
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 Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and experienced cross-cultural leadership coach helping organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.
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