Trapped in the Tower, He Called for the Last Time

It was around 4am Hawaii time (maybe earlier, I don’t remember exactly) and still dark outside.

I was still half asleep and taking the long walk from my hotel room to the conference center at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort where I would be doing blood analysis all day for Anthony Robbins Life Mastery participants.

An unusual number of people were running around, frantically, but no one was wearing gym clothes.

I remember thinking to myself, “What the hell are all these people doing up so damn early in the morning, if they aren’t working out? They’re supposed to be on vacation or here for the event!”

I had no idea what was going on until I heard some people shouting, “WE’VE BEEN ATTACKED! AMERICA HAS BEEN ATTACKED!” They were absolutely TERRIFIED.

“Attacked? Where? Here? By whom? What the f#ck is going on?!”

When I arrived at the conference center, I found a group of colleagues gathered around a television observing the horror that was the World Trade Center collapsing.

The truth is, I don’t remember feeling anything but confusion. It just didn’t seem real. “How could it be real? Could it have been an accident? Was it possible that a plane just lost control and got off course or something?”

It’s interesting how the mind tries to explain and justify things it simply cannot comprehend. It may as well have been a live broadcast of an alien invasion because it was just THAT surreal.

Then, my mind began to race, “Where is my family? Was anyone I know supposed to be flying that day? Who did I know who might have been in the twin towers or in the surrounding area? What were we going to do? What could we do? Would we be able to get home? Would I ever see my loved ones again?”

Tony made the decision to proceed with the event.

I assume he felt it would be better for the few thousand people attending, many of whom lived in New York and actually worked at the World Trade Center and many others who were from the Middle East, to be engaged in open conversation about what had transpired and receive strategic intervention as they faced their fear and pain.

He was SO right!

In retrospect, there was NOWHERE else on EARTH I would have rather been than at that Anthony Robbins event.

We were able to witness and participate in raw and unfiltered conversations (interventions) between American and Middle Eastern participants, Jewish and Islamic participants, and many others with different perspectives on what had happened and why.

Some were filled with hate, some with fear, some with grief, some with empathy, some with compassion, but most were just in shock and experiencing a flood of mixed of emotions. What better place could we have been to deal with that shit in real time?

I had people to serve that day, with blood analysis and health mentoring, and it kept my mind and body occupied with something bigger than myself and something greater than my fear.

It also kept things in perspective.

Many of the people I saw as clients that day, were DIRECTLY impacted by the attacks. One woman in particular, who you may have seen interviewed on Larry King and other such shows in the weeks following, lived in New York and worked inside the World Trade Center with her boyfriend and would be fiancé.

Before leaving for Hawaii, he had proposed marriage to her, but she had declined the proposal because, if I remember correctly, her career was more important to her at the time. She loved him, but she just didn’t feel ready and didn’t want anything to distract from her professional goals. So, she decided to leave him in New York and come to the event in Hawaii alone to sort things out and get clear about her priorities.

At the event, late one night, she had finally gotten clear and decided that being married to him was exactly what she wanted and she had planned to tell him the next morning. But when the morning came and she turned on her cell phone, there was a message.

He was trapped in the upper floors of one of the collapsing towers when he called. Knowing that he would not make it out alive. He just wanted her to know how much he loved her and that he was sorry they would never see each other again. He wanted to tell her that knowing her and being with her had been the greatest gift of his life. And then…he was gone.

She sat with me, just hours after hearing the message for the first time, tears rolling down her face as she shared her tragic story. She was devastated that she had let her fear of commitment cost her the opportunity to marry the man she loved when she had the chance.

She reminded me to take nothing for granted, to never put anything important off, to never overlook any opportunity to connect with a friend or loved one, and to always make sure I have my priorities straight. And that advice became even more important to me this past year.

Last February, I lost my little brother to suicide. He was only 30 years old.

In the months leading up to his tragic death, we connected more deeply and spent more quality time together than ever before in our lives. And, while I wish I had been with him on his last night alive to help him through his pain so he perhaps could have lived through it, I’m grateful that I was able to set less important things aside and take some time to really be with him before he decided to leave us.

What unfinished business do you have with someone you care about? Who needs to hear your voice, feel your touch, know you’re there for them?

In addition to today being the anniversary of 9/11, September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, September 7th-12th is National Suicide Prevention Week, and September 10th (yesterday) was World Suicide Prevention Day.

So, as you reflect on the tragic events of 9/11, 13 years ago today, as I am, remember:

• Practice forgiveness. Whatever your holding on to, just let it go now.
• Praise and appreciate the people in your life. Go and tell someone how much they mean to you right now.
• Express your gratitude. Be thankful for who and what you have in your life today.
• Tell and SHOW those who are dearest to you how much you love them.
• If you know someone is going through hell, let them know they are not alone and that you will be there to help them keep going until they get through it.
• Live each and every day to the fullest as if its your last.

You may not get another chance because you never know what tomorrow has in store for you and those you love. Certain opportunities only come ONCE in a lifetime, and the time is NOW!

AWAKEN THE HERO inside of you and be someone who leaves nothing incomplete and someone who makes a difference.

And IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING AND SUFFERING THROUGH A HELL OF YOUR OWN TODAY, THEN PLEASE REACH OUT to someone to talk about it and get help. If you don’t have someone, then reach out to me.

Every new possibility, every breakthrough, and all transformation occurs inside of a powerful conversation between two or more people.

Most of what is stopping you in life and causing your suffering is in your mind — in the stories you are living in about yourself, others, and the world, and those stories can be rewritten to give you a new experience and new results.

But what will make the biggest difference is in the realm of “what you don’t know you don’t know” and is therefore hidden from your view in a ‘blind spot’.

At the level of individual, your power to access to ‘blind spots’ is limited, but in relationship and communication with others you have a mirror which reflects back to you that which you cannot see, hear, and know of yourself.

New insights come from you observing your listening to another person sharing their experience or expertise and from you observing your reactions to another person saying what they’re saying and doing what they’re doing.

That’s power multiplied by a relationship, especially a relationship with a coach.

Relationships magnify your experience (all of it, ‘positive’ and ‘negative’) and they show you your blind spots (confusion, inauthenticity, reality) so you can transform the negative experiences into positive ones and bring your blind spots into the light of love and appreciation with courage and support and create new strengths.

So, if you’re currently struggling with something stressful and you want to have a powerful conversation and explore what’s possible for yourself and your life beyond the pain and suffering, then fill out the confidential form below and I will clear space in my calendar to hop on a call together and serve you right away.

No agenda, no expectation other than to serve you in a powerful conversation; we can talk about absolutely anything you want or need to talk about.

Your Adventure Awaits!