3 things I learned while my plane crashed Ric Elias

imagine a big explosion as you climb

through 3000 feet

imagine a Plane full of smoke imagine an

engine going clock clock clock clock

sounds scary well had a unique seat that

day I was sitting in 1d I was the only

one who could talk to the flight

attendants so I looked at them right

away and they said no problem we

probably hit some birds the pilot had

already turned the plane around and we

weren’t that far you could see Manhattan

two minutes later three things happen at

the same time the pilot lines up the

plane with the Hudson River it’s usually

not the route he turns off the engines

now imagine being on a plane with no

sound and then he says three words as

unemotional three words have I’ve ever

heard he says brace for impact

I didn’t have to talk to the flight

attendant anymore I could see in her

eyes it was terror life was over and I

want to share with you three things I

learn about myself that they I learned

that it all changes in an instant we

have this bucket list we have these

things we want to do in life and I

thought about all the people I wanted to

reach out that I didn’t all the fences I

wanted am in all the experiences I

wanted to had and I never did as I

thought about that later on I came up

with the same which is I collect bat

wines because if the wine is ready and

the person is there I’m opening I no

longer want to postpone anything in life

in that urgency that purpose has really

changed my life the second thing I

learned that day and this is as we clear

the George Washington Bridge which was

by not a lot

I thought about wow I really feel one

real regret I’ve lived a good life in my

own humanity and mistakes I’ve tried to

get better at everything I tried but in

my humanity

I also allow my ego to get in and I

regretted the time I wasted and things

that did not matter with people that

matter I thought about my relationship

with my wife with my friends with people

and after as I reflected on that I

decided to eliminate negative energy

from my life not perfect a lot better

I’ve not had a fight with my wife in two

years it feels great

I no longer trying to be right I choose

to be happy the third thing I learned

and this is as your mental clock starts

going 15 14 13 you can see the water

coming I’m saying please blow up right I

don’t want this thing to break in 20

pieces like you’ve seen in those

documentaries and as we’re coming down I

had a sense of wow dying is not scary

it’s almost like we’ve been preparing

for our whole lives but it was very sad

I didn’t want to go I love my life and

that sadness really framed in one

thought which is I only wish for one

thing I only wish I could see my kids

grow up about a month later I was in a

performance by my daughter first grader

not much artistic talent yet

and I’m balling I’m crying like a little

kid and he made all the sense in the

world to me I realize at that point by

connecting those two dots that the only

thing that matters in my life is being a

great dad

above all above all the only goal I have

in life is to be a good dad I was given

the gift of a miracle of not dying that

day I was given another gift which was

to be able to see into the future and

come back and live differently I

challenge you guys that are flying today

imagine the same thing happens on your

plane and please don’t

but imagine and how would you change

what would you get done that you’re

waiting to get done because you think

you’ll be here forever how would you

change your relationships and the

negative energy in them and more than

anything are you being the best parent

you can thank

you