By David Tollefson, Vice President
July 6, 2023, marked a turning point in my life. One that left me lying in the center median of a four-lane highway in West Virginia, battered and broken from a motorcycle accident that could easily have taken my life.
When you face a tough moment in life, either personal or professional, it’s initially about survival or maybe “winning.” But what about afterwards? What did an experience teach you that will make your life moving forward a more rewarding one?
For me, the events of that day taught me invaluable lessons that I now carry with me, serving as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of living with purpose.
Lesson 1 – Live in the Moment
The first lesson etched into my consciousness was the ephemeral nature of life. We are not promised tomorrow and the course of our existence can be altered in the blink of an eye. The mundane tasks and trivial worries that often consume our thoughts pale in comparison to the brevity of our time on this earth.
As I navigated the path to recovery, I made a conscious decision to cherish the moments gifted to me, to savour the beauty of life, and to embrace the people who make it meaningful.
Living in the present has become a mantra, a daily reminder to extract joy from simple pleasures and to cultivate gratitude for the ordinary. The smell of coffee in the morning, a beautiful sunny day, laughing with a friend — these seemingly mundane experiences took on new significance.
The accident became a catalyst for a profound shift in perspective, urging me to find joy in the ordinary.
Lesson 2 – Remember What Really Matters
The second lesson echoed through my mind as I started my rehabilitation. It was a revelation about the pursuit of dreams and goals. While aspirations are vital for personal and professional growth and fulfillment, the accident highlighted the difference between what we pursue and what we hold most dear.
In the race towards success and the relentless pursuit of ambitions, it’s easy to lose sight of the treasures that define our lives. The accident served as a stark reminder that, for me, the things I couldn’t earn or buy like relationships, love, and compassion were the true pillars of a fulfilling life.
It reshaped my priorities, causing me to reassess the balance between personal and professional aspirations and personal connections.
I decided to continue pursuing dreams and goals, but not at the expense of the invaluable elements that make life rich and meaningful. The ambition for success was no longer a sprint but a marathon, allowing space to grow relationships and for moments of quiet reflection and the pursuit of inner contentment.
For Consideration
I challenge you to ask yourself some questions and consider the answers and how they fit into your current state:
- What daily or “ordinary” moments bring joy to your life?
- What do you value most in life?
- What did you learn about yourself from the last significant event in your life?
As I reflect on my accident, the physical scars stand as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound lessons embedded in adversity. The accident wasn’t just a brush with mortality, it was a reawakening—a call to live authentically, love fiercely, and navigate the journey of life with purpose and wisdom.
In the rear-view mirror of that West Virginia highway, I see not just the wreck of a motorcycle crash but the fragments of my former self, a self that emerged from the debris stronger, wiser, and with a renewed appreciation for the precious gift of life.