My 9/11 Wake-Up Call

On this 23nd anniversary of 9/11, back in 2001 I had an 8:00 AM appointment scheduled at Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the World Trade Center. Back in those days before becoming an International Speaker/Author/Coach, I was blessed to be the top salesperson in the world for an international consulting company. Most of my appointments were in New Jersey, with some occasional appointments up and down the East Coast and out in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I had the appointment scheduled with a gentleman named Chris Hanley. Chris and I had never met face to face and when we scheduled our 9/11 appointment he let me know that he was meeting some people for breakfast at Windows on the World starting at 7:00 AM and he had some appointments going until about noon and that he'd be able to meet with me at 8:00 AM, and I agreed to meet with him at that time.

A few days before our scheduled appointment, I had a schedule conflict and I called Chris and we moved our appointment to 9/13 and the 9/13 appointment would be in his office in midtown Manhattan. On the morning of 9/11, I remember watching the TV and all that unfolded. I wasn’t living that far away from NYC and you could see the smoke for days after the attack. I tried calling Chris that day but the phone lines were jammed. On 9/12 I reached someone in his office who told me that he never got out after the first plane hit. Chris died on 9/11. God allowed me to dodge that bullet. It had come so close.

With all the stages I've spoken on all around the world, I've only ever mentioned this story a handful of times. I've never really sat down and thought deeply about why I don't share this story. Whenever I briefly think of sharing it from stage, I think "No, not this time" and I let it go. Maybe I don't want to bring all of that back up in my mind. I don't know.

People often wonder why I measure my life in days, not years like everyone else does. I stopped living my life in weeks, months, years and decades a long time ago. Today is Day 21,818 for me. I live my life in day tight compartments and I savor the day. Like most people, I didn't live in the present. I was running fast and hard like just about everyone else and usually in my head in some past or future event and rarely fully present and engaged in the present moment. Not any more. Most people are waiting to live their lives. To really live their lives. Until after they have more money or more time, until after the kids are out of the house, until after this or after that. Don't fall into that trap. Live now.

For a long time, I've prepared dinners which are lavish events just about every evening when I'm not on the road. I schedule a lot of fun into my life and make it a priority to ski, golf, travel, go to concerts, and do lots of things I like to do. I live every day like it's my last. And someday it will be.

And obviously while dinners, trips, etc are all fun, the real meaning of life is relationship. Relationship with your maker, relationships with your family, friends, business partners, clients, etc. As you're living life more fully, always be seeking to create, nurture and deepen relationships. That's what it's all about. Pay it forward. Spread the love.

So on this 23nd anniversary of 9/11, perhaps take a few moments and ask yourself "Am I really living? Or am I only existing?" and truly let that question sink in. Take some time to ponder it. This isn't a dress rehearsal. This is it. You're a beautiful, divine creation of God, designed for greatness. And you deserve the desires of your heart. We never know when our time will come. So make the most of the time you have.

God bless all those who lost their lives on that day. God bless the brave men and women who keep America safe on a daily basis – including my son who is in the Air Force - so we can pursue our dreams in the most free and amazing country ever created in the history of the world. God bless you. And God bless America. ツ

Kevin Knebl, CMEC, HCC is an International Speaker, Author, Trainer and Joie de Vivre Coach whose clients include individuals and small, medium and Fortune 500 companies. He's an in-demand, leading authority on Success, Resilience, Clarity, Social Selling, Relationship Marketing, LinkedIn and Twitter with a healthy dose of Inspiration, Transformational Insight, and Humor blended in for good measure for conferences, conventions, company trainings, and many other events.

Kevin is the coauthor of "The Social Media Sales Revolution: The New Rules for Finding Customers, Building Relationships, and Closing More Sales Through Online Networking" (McGraw-Hill). Kevin is also a contributing author of "Learn Marketing with Social Media in Seven Days" (Wiley).

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