Hope for your financial life and beyond

We Are One Heartbeat Away From a Life Changing Moment

Hidden Nuggets Series #33 – “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” – Proverbs 27:1

life changing

Sports fans watching their Wednesday late night highlight reels witnessed some stunning footage of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman being drilled in the head from a batted ball by Kansas City Royals player Salvador Perez. It’s a “Gasp…OMG!” moment, as Chapman lay sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain.

For those able to stomach grisly injury videos, the scene can be found here at ESPN.

Reports today are that Chapman suffered a few fractured bones and a mild concussion. He will have surgery to implant some steel plates in his head and miss about 6-8 weeks of the regular season. I’m amazed that’s the extent of his injuries and am thankful he is fine.

Let me rephrase that…I’m thankful he’s alive.

The speed and suddenness at which this incident happened, reminded me of a Monday night football game I watched in 1985. On that night, Giant’s linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, snapping his leg in two. That fateful flea-flicker play that took only a few seconds ended Theismann’s career. Anyone who was there or watching on TV will say it’s the most gruesome sports injury ever.

Events like these remind me we are one heartbeat away from a life changing moment.

Reacting to Life Changing Fastballs

Life has a way of throwing 99-mph fastballs our way when we least expect it. The pitch comes in high and tight – sometimes striking us. For good or for bad, these type of events leave us dazed, scrambling for answers to the question, “What the heck just happened?”

Neither you nor I know what tomorrow will bring. It would be presumptuous of us to pretend so. But we do know, like these athletes found out, that there are life-defining moments that occur in a flash.

So how should we live knowing that life can turn on a dime?

In reverence…realizing that our existence is a gift.

With humility…knowing life is no respecter of persons.

In preparation… through planning and wise choices.

With flexibility…finding ways to adapt and push on.

In anticipation…of how we will face that moment.

With caution…so as not to hamstring ourselves.

In gratitude…for each moment given us.

With purpose…to live out our passions while we still can.

How are you living today?

Questions: What sudden, life changing momenst have you faced? Is there any way you could have prepared for it? Should we plan for the future even though we can’t predict it? What’s your secret for living day by day?

Image at Wikimedia Commons

Next Post: 5 Warning Signs When Choosing a Financial Adviser

Prior Post: Choosing the Right College Starts By Answering These Questions

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Comments

  1. This post reminded me of Marcus Lattimore’s injury a couple of years back, where he blew out his knee playing against Tennessee. It was gruesome to see it live on national TV, especially knowing that he had just come back from an injury to his other knee a year prior. I hope he’ll be able to play for the 49ers this year, but it sounds like he’s got a lot of maturity to handle life no matter if he makes it in the NFL or not.

    • Football injuries are definitely the worst to see live on TV (although Chapman’s injury was pretty spectacular). Sometimes the body was just not to bend that way.

  2. A couple of years ago my wife had a blood clot that could have ended very badly. She ended up being in the hospital for about a month, and it was touch and go on whether she would live or die – or possibly lose her leg for much of that time. Going through a hard time like that definitely has a way of putting life in focus and helping you to feel so much more thankful for all you have.

  3. I have a chronic illness that could take me out at any time. Life is very precious to me. I try to make the most of it by letting my family and friends know how special they are to me most every day. I also work to make sure my family has the best financial foundation I can provide within the time I still have.

    One thing I would advise others is to make sure they have enough term life insurance that their loved ones who rely on them will be taken care of when they pass. People who are working should also have enough disability insurance to pay at least 60% of their current income. I don’t think anyone likes paying insurance premiums, but I’m glad I took out the term life and disability policies before I got sick.

    • Thanks for sharing that Bryce. I’m sure it’s tough for you living day to day. I echo those thoughts on taking care of the ones you love. Insurance is a vital but often overlooked piece to the financial plan.

  4. I don’t think I’ve ever had a super serious moment myself, when when I turn on the news and see people being tragically taken away from us by illness or accident, I’m reminded how short and precious life is, and to stop stressing about stupid stuff.

    • “…stop stressing about stupid stuff.” You nailed it there Tonya. Wish I could get that across to my students sometimes. I think we would all be better off if we quit doing that.

  5. I cringe every time I see a player get hit by a ball (baseball is my favorite sport). Six to eight weeks is incredible. It’s so true that we never know what will happen next. I always try to treasure moments, special or routine. Life is very precious.

  6. Love this, Brian. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring; we don’t even know what the next minute will bring. I try my best to appreciate every moment I have and to enjoy it. One thing I see so often in my line of work is people who keep putting off living … when they retire … they will do this and that. And yes, it’s important to think about how you want to spend your retirement so you can appropriately save for it, but you still need to enjoy life NOW. I’m not suggesting people jump on the #YOLO bandwagon but we need to remember to stop and enjoy the moment and be grateful for our time here.

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