Yesterday, a friend told me a story of the scariest five seconds of his life.
When approaching an intersection on a two lane highway, there was a car that suddenly swerved across all lanes of traffic directly in front of him.
He jerked the steering wheel to avoid collision and ended up peeling over the grassy median and out onto the other side of the two lane highway into oncoming traffic.
Imagine the sheer horror of being behind the wheel of that swerving car, moving at highway speeds, heading towards cars that were also heading at highway speeds—right towards you.
It was a miracle that in that split few seconds of time, he was able to quickly swerve back over the median and onto the right side of the road before being hit.
I share this story to remind you to 1) always drive like your life depends on it and 2) bring back to the forefront of your mind that life is delicate. It was through no fault of his own that this person swerved in front of him. And it was damn fortunate that he was able to navigate his way back to safety.
Had he been driving less cautiously, it could have proven to be fatal—for more than just him.
I’m sure you, too, have had a scariest five seconds of your life that could’ve ended it all for you—but didn’t. Don’t let this gratitude for life leave you. Because it’s nothing short of a miracle that we’re here living, breathing, and being… isn’t it?
P.s. I also published: 23 Greg McKeown Quotes from Essentialism and How To Live Better Via Less