Do you remember where you were 25 years ago today? On September 11, 2001? I remember very clearly because September 11th was always a special day to me because it is my birthday! On that day I was getting ready for work, and my phone rang and it was my mom. I assumed she was calling to wish me a Happy Birthday but instead she was calling to make sure I was safe and not traveling somewhere. I did not have any idea what was going on because it was early on the west coast and I wasn’t watching the news.
For the first few years when September 11th rolled around, I honestly hated that it was also my birthday. But now I celebrate that I share this date with such a profound event. Not of course that the event happened and the tragedy that surrounded it, but instead of the courage and resilience that we have had as a country.
Even though we will “Never Forget”, there are a lot of lessons that have come from this day that we should celebrate. I think there are a few themes that I try to remember when I think of 9/11…things like resilience, unity, perspective and preparedness.
Let’s talk about preparedness first. I think between 9/11 and the COVID experiences, I personally have made sure that I have things “in order”. Making sure that my will and trust along with my financial items are all in order and updated as needed, gives me a sense that I am prepared for whatever might happen. I also think being physically prepared is important and is something I continue to work on!
Resilience is something that I talk about a LOT when I talk with women that I work with. When we talk about resilience, it is not only professionally but also personally. As leaders, we must be resilient and learn from mistakes and be adaptable to situations. But personally, we must have emotional resilience by being mindful, processing stress and having mental capacity for challenges that arise.
Unity is a term that we may not have used a lot in our pre-9/11 world but is also important both professionally and personally. In leadership, unity comes in the form of collaboration. By working together to solve problems, we create a real team. In our personal lives, unity means many things that will help your communities in ways such as volunteering and participating in initiatives or projects that are important to you and have an impact on others.
The final and probably most important lesson to me is about perspective. Some of the things I learned from the events of 9/11 was to prioritize what was meaningful to me. As far as work, that meant balancing decision-making without being fearful. But more importantly, to me personally it means to constantly reflect on my goals and values and make sure my actions align with that. It also means practicing gratitude and appreciating the things that are important to me like relationships and my own well-being.
I would love to hear if there is something you remember from that day and something that you changed in your life based on those events. We will “Never Forget” what happened and like all major life events, we must go forward and be grateful for the amazing life that we have!
Linked In Post summary: Can you believe it’s been 25 years since September 11, 2001? Do you remember where you were on that day? What is different today from who you were 25 years ago (and not just that you are older)?
That day was one that we will “Never Forget” and we will honor forever. However, our human memory is fragile, but I believe there are things that changed how you look at your life.
For me, the things that I think about that changed for me when I think of 9/11…things like resilience, unity, perspective and preparedness…and not just that I am a year older!
