I didn’t come this far

At first, swimming didn't come easily for me. My parents joined the Highland Swim Club in 1966 for two reasons. First, to make sure my sister and I could learn to swim, and second, give us someplace to go in the summer as my mom was pregnant with our brother. I was five years old and liked going to the pool but really didn't want to take lessons early in the morning. I fought it more on principle than learning a new skill. My mother would tell me that everyone needed to learn to swim.   She started early in my life to reinforce "keep trying."

In 1971, I wanted to get my junior lifeguard certification.   I went for it and got through the first aid and pulling someone out of the pool but now had to get through my nemesis, the 500-yard swim. The Red Cross trainer told me to pace myself, and there was no time limit. My mindset was to get through whatever I was doing as quickly as possible, which was a challenge for me. I just wanted it to be over. I slowed down and took my time. I don't remember how long it took me to finish, but I did, and my mom was at the end of the pool when I got done. I swam 500 yards without stopping and finally passed!  I didn’t have to retake the course, and when I turned twelve, I could be a junior lifeguard!  My mom was smart; as she anchored in me, if I persisted, I would succeed and, I could accomplish anything.

At the same time, I was going for my junior lifeguard certification; I worked hard in Boy Scouts. What I realized when I started my quest to Eagle Scout, what I had to do for the junior lifeguard certification would help me get my swimming and first aid merit badges! Getting these two badges in addition to my personal fitness merit badge set me on the fast lane for Eagle Scout.

After moving to Virginia, my focus started to shift more to athletics than obtaining the Eagle Scout award.  When I decided and told my parents that I was going to give up on that goal of being an Eagle Scout, it was devastating for my parents. My mother asked me

“Did you come this far just to go this far?”

That decision, giving up when I so close to earning the Eagle Scout award, is the one decision I have regretted the most in my life. There have been many times in my life when I am going for a big, audacious goal when I have wanted to stop and take the easy way out. But before I do, I think about that remark from my mom, did I really come this far just to go this far?

I survived when US Airways 1549 impacted the Hudson River, and now water is streaming into the Airbus 320.  When I got to the door at 10F, there was no room in that lifeboat for me. I was halfway out of US Airways 1549. The other half was waste deep in 36-degree water for over 7 minutes. I was stuck in the doorway, waiting for something to open up so I could make my move. If you have ever been stuck in a doorway, it is an uncomfortable position to be in. You are in a state of uncertainty. Should I continue forward or retreat to perceived safety? 

And something quickly crossed my mind when I felt the plane shift and water seeping up my back. I survived the initial impact of the plane hitting the water, and now,

Am I only going to come this far to get this far? 

When it came time to go forward, I had a strong reference that I could do it. Even though I wasn't out of the woods yet, the lessons I learned from making a poor choice in my youth served me.  I didn’t come as far as the exit door at 10F just to stay there. 

Over the past year, we all have had these threshold moments, points in time where we achieve awareness or understanding from a difficult situation. The question is, will you become numb and stay where you are or have a breakthrough and grow? 

When you get to a threshold moment, ask yourself, “did you really invest all the time, resources, and effort just to get this far to go only this far?”  

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!

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. 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.