Good enough seldom is

Three years ago in January, my mentor, Don, and I were invited to share the stage in Toronto at the Tony Robbins Power Group event that kicked off the year.?I am always honored to be invited to speak, but this event was special.?Not only was I being asked to speak for a group that has the connection with Tony and sharing the stage with my current mentor but kicking off the year in Toronto made it extremely special.?As you may know, most of my personal team is based in Canada, and my publicist, my ride or die, Rania, is based in Toronto so having the opportunity to invite her and expose her to my "Tony" world made it extra special.?

When I was planning my talk for this event, I invited Rania, my EA, Yvonne, and Rania's daughter, Hannah, to be with me.?I didn't want them to have any specific duties except to have fun and learn.?In addition to Don and me speaking, we were going to have a board-breaking experience. A great way to kick off the year.

If you have ever been to a Tony Robbins live event, you know it is filled with loud music and dancing so that you can get yourself in optimum state.??Rania loves to dance and was playing full out, but Hannah was reserved.?She probably thought, "what is wrong with all these old people?" Don and I talked with Hannah to try and bring her out and participate, but Hannah was hesitant.?After Don and I spoke and the board breaking began, things got wild.?I was holding boards for people to break as one of my responsibilities when I was head of security for Tony was to hold his board on stage when he broke it.?I was encouraging everyone as they came through our line, but I kept looking for Hannah.?No Hannah.??

When the event ended, Don and I tracked down Hannah and Rania.??We both told Hannah that she had so much going for her not to let negative forces influence her.?She had terrific role models in Rania and her dad, Steve, and that we would be there for her and keep watch over her. If she ever needed anything, she could call us, and we would mentor her.?We hugged, and Yvonne drove me to my hotel as I had a 7 am flight home to Charlotte the following day.?

Over the past few years, Don and I have been watching and interacting with Hannah.?As most young people have, Hannah had some challenges as she was going through high school.?Rania and I would talk, and occasionally I would speak with Hannah. ?Last month Hannah graduated from high school and will be going to University in the fall.??I am incredibly proud of the young lady that Hannah has become. She is bright but took advantage of something most young people have but never take advantage of; the power of having mentors can give you the insights to compress the decades it usually takes to accomplish something into days and, more importantly, who care.?

Ten days ago, while I was shopping for my nutritional needs for my upcoming swim with the Navy Seals, I was in the aisle looking for almond butter.?I promised Rania that I would let her see what I was getting as she, my PT, Joyce, Coach Patty, and my wingman, Suzanne, are helping me eat better, so I am prepared for the Hudson River.?As we were looking up and down the aisle, Hannah came on screen.?I hadn't seen Hannah since before her graduation, so it was tremendous that I could congratulate her personally.?She had so much more confidence than when I first met her.?I reminded her even though she is going to University in the fall, she still has Don and me there with her to help and support her when she needed anything.?I wanted her to know, if you have a true mentor, they will NEVER leave you.?Bill, Tony, and Don have never left me, so I can tell people that with certainty.

Last week while Coach Patty and I were out on our three-mile open water swim, she went ahead, and I was out there doing my thing, working out the strategy that I will use in the Hudson River.?As I was swimming, my mind started to wander, and I began to think about my kids and that last conversation with Hannah.?I began to think about them and the swim, and I started thinking about why I am doing the swim.?Then as I flipped on my back to do some backstroke, another reason came to mind.?The most important thing I can do is model and teach young people the values and mindset of purpose, perseverance, and success as that will last with them for decades to come, so when they face adversity, and they will, they will have a reference to follow. Whatever I do, I need to show young people what it takes, the commitment and resolve, to overcome any challenge and fear to have a happy and fulfilled life and that just doing good enough seldom is.?You have to go all-in, and as my friend, Amilya Antonetti so elegantly said during our interview on Friday, "to be a leader, you need to reach forward to someone who can teach you and at the same time, reach back to a young person to show them the way."

As I finished that three-mile swim, I thought about August 7 and the time and effort my team and I have invested in making this initial goal into a reality, and the reasons I am honored to be with the Navy Seals, Suzanne, and the patriots swimming. When I walked out of the water that day, I had one more reason, to show young people, like my kids and Hannah, to overcome the challenges, adversity, and turmoil they will face in life, as we all have had in the past year with COVID 19, social justice questions and a broken country, that there are mentors and models in the world that can show them how to turn their turmoil into triumph and the effort my team and I are taking, reaching forward to be led by a group with the highest standards and at the same time reach back to bring those who need a reference on how to lead through adversity, will be a strong reference for them.

With all the challenges 2020 presented, a strategy to turn that year of turmoil into 2021 being a year of triumph is to humble yourself, get around people who can help and support you.?Know there are mentors and role models that have swum the swim before.?Reach out to them and ask them to support and mentor you, and you will grow out of the turmoil you had in 2020 and on the road to a triumphant 2021,

I went into the waters of the Hudson River on January 15, and when I came out, I had a new purpose in my life.?I aim to help people become the best they can be. To overcome any turmoil, they have experienced in life and turn it into a triumph. To do something for someone who cannot ever repay me.

On August 7, 2021, I'll be going back into the Hudson River, but much like that cold day in January, I won't be alone.?

I've been invited to join some of America's greatest, a group of Navy Seals to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and remember the Seal mission Extortion 17.?

It's one thing to swim on your own; it's another to swim with the Navy Seals.?

Remember the value of association.?One way to grow out of the turmoil that 2020 presented is to associate yourself with a group of five that will hold you to a standard and doing something for someone who cannot do anything for you. Like we will be doing on August 7, raising money for the GIGO Fund, helping the homeless and down on their luck veterans who continue to struggle after leaving the service and especially while we recover from COVID 19.?

My mission is simple; help those who may be going through their own turmoil from the past year with a pathway to victory and triumph and understand that you didn't get this far only to go this far!

Treat the TURMOIL of 2020 as your year of preparation and 2021 as your year to TRIUMPH!

If you would like to support my mission to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and those who lost their lives during the Extortion 17 mission, please check out my page at Dave Sanderson Seal Swim.?Thank you for your consideration.

LEAD YOURSELF FIRST and CREATE YOUR FLIGHT PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE!

?Dave Sanderson is the President of his firm, Dave Sanderson Speaks International, based out of Charlotte, NC. On January 15, 2009, Dave was one of the last passengers off the plane that crashed into the Hudson River, best known as?The Miracle on the Hudson, considered the most successful ditching in aviation history. In addition, he has built a career as a motivational speaker, mentor, and author. Recently named one of the top 100 Leadership Speakers in Inc.com. Dave averages over 80 speeches a year for major corporations worldwide.