Moments That Change The World

THIS PAST SUNDAY I CRASHED MY BIKE so hard I flew over the handlebars, landed on my head and back, and broke my helmet. Thankfully, my 16-year-old son Patrick was there to make sure I did not try to move my neck or body or let anyone else move me. It felt good that his words were so solid, helpful, and calm with so many people wanting to do something before the ambulance guys took over—and then a CT scan showed nothing broken.

Nevertheless, I have been sitting for about a week with three boxes of drugs to keep down the pain, and I still can’t move much. So I’ve been musing about the power of words. We understand that words in dire circumstances may be the difference between life and death. What we forget is the full spectrum of moments where our words matter.

During the financial crisis in 2007/2008, my investment company went from holding assets worth about $800 million to about $300 million. We cut salaries as much as 90 percent and I lived off savings. It was stressful, and then one night, my wife Amy came in and said in a very loving but firm and matter-of-fact way, “I don’t like seeing you so stressed. You can just walk away. I don’t care if we have to live in a trailer.” And in that moment my world changed.

Author: Paul Sutherland, Squaring The Education Pyramid Institute Founder & Director

Full article below:

https://www.paulhsutherland.com/blog/moments-that-change-the-world