Reflecting on Change through Moments and Millimeters

Change is a big part of everyone’s life. After all, along with death and taxes, change is one of the ‘for sure’ things we can expect in our lives.

Some changes are small and barely noticeable, such as the traffic, weather, or “Starbucks ran out of my coffee (again).” These we learn to take in stride. And we carry on.

Some changes are more significant and they can really shake things up. Such as, “the company has been sold, and my job is being eliminated.” We may think that our world has forever been changed and we may never recover. But we do, and we carry on.

One thing I have noticed though is through it all, we tend to think of these changes as a crisis. I also noticed that we take for granted all the magical things we have in our lives. Food on the table. A roof over our heads. The unconditional love of family and friends. Our health.

I sometimes am, or was, guilty of the above as well. Sometimes thinking that I was invincible. Taking the love I had from family, friends and even my customers for granted. I have always taken care of my health religiously, yet at the same time, thinking that my health and well-being would always be there.

I am here as witness that it all can change in an instant and, potentially forever.

My wife and I are building a new home. Some of you know that I used to be a tradesman and have my Red Seal Electrician’s designation. And although I am no longer in the trade, I have been on literally thousands of construction sites, and I feel incredibly at ease still.

Six weeks ago, my wife and I were at the construction site for our new house. No big deal. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and we were there to check out the progress. I decided to go inside. I walked up a wooden plank from the bottom of the ‘hole’ that had been dug to the top of the cement foundation – about 6 feet (3 meters) high. When I got to the top of the plank, it suddenly twisted and I lost my balance. With nothing to grab onto in front of me and being at a sharp angle, I fell backwards headfirst into the hole. The fall was no big deal. The sudden stop at the end of the fall was. I hit the top of my head on a sharp cement corner. I remember feeling an instance jolt of pain that shot from head through my neck and… a horrifying crunching sound!

Surprisingly, I did not lose consciousness. I remember rolling over and struggling to my feet. Once standing, I saw blood pouring past my eyes and onto the ground. I reached up to touch my head and felt the eeriness of my now exposed cranium where hair used to be.

I started to call for my wife. When Colleen came around the corner, it struck me how incredibly composed and calm she was – I guess that comes from 18 years as a nurse in a big hospital. She immediately got me to lay down and she held me with one arm gently across my chest and the other hand on my head to attempt to control the bleeding.

I heard her yell out for help and for someone to call an ambulance. Luckily, one of our neighbors who was also building his house was there for the day. He came right away to help.

A crew of amazing paramedics arrived next. I was put on a spinal board and in a neck brace and loaded into the ambulance and taken to the trauma center in a neighboring city – I remember that, although in an incredible amount of pain, it was fun to be speeding through red lights with the siren blaring. At the hospital, I was immediately treated by an equally amazing team of trauma doctors and nurses where they, as I say, put my head back together, took x-ray’s, CT scans and a host of other very thorough diagnostic tests. I thank god (and the Canadian system) for our universal health care!

I was told that I had fractured my ‘C7’ neck vertebrae and I was going to be admitted to the hospital for surgery.

Two long and painful weeks later, I was sent home to continue my recovery.

I am a very lucky man! I somehow escaped brain damage and paralysis. I will make a full recovery.

However, my life changed forever in an instant – at the snap of your fingers. And… it could have been far worse. If not for mere millimeters, I could have been dead, brain damaged or quadriplegic.

In a few days from writing this blog, I will start transitioning out of my very, very restrictive and confining hard plastic neck brace and into rehabilitation for my atrophied muscles.

What have I learned that I want to share with you? I no longer get annoyed in traffic (even though for the last 6 weeks I have been a passenger as I am not allowed to drive yet). I no longer get annoyed when the little things in life try my patience. I love waking up every morning and everything I get to do. I have a new found admiration and respect for virtually everything and everyone in my life. I do only the things I choose to do that align with my values and how I want to live my life.

I discovered the magic of the love I am blessed to receive in my life. I would not be here today if not for my wife. She has been by my side 24/7 since my accident, and even slept in a chair beside my bed in the hospital for two weeks straight. I thank her for that, every chance I get. I discovered a whole bunch of people that have always been there cheering for me but I was too busy to realize.

I discovered how truly magical my life is and how close I came to having it taken away. I discovered how important my purpose in life is and that I have been given an extension on fulfilling that for leaders and businesses around the world.

I rediscovered the ‘Wow!’ of the everyday. The smell of fresh baked cookies. The sound of rain falling. The beauty of a sunset. The warmth of a hug from a loved one. The taste of pretty much everything from the first bite to the last.

Change will happen to all of us. It may be life changing however, unless it is life and death, I recommend that you learn to embrace it and remember how blessed we all are because it can change in an instant and a millimeter or two.

Robert Murray is a Business Strategy Consultant, partner at Incrementa Consulting Inc., #1 Best Selling Author, and International Keynote Speaker. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.