Salvador Alvarenga, a Salvadoran fisherman, survived adrift at sea for an incredible 438 days. This is the longest recorded survival at sea. Juliane Koepcke fell 10,000 feet after the airplane she was flying in was torn apart from lightning, survived the fall, and regained consciousness in the Peruvian rainforest. With multiple injuries, she then walked and crawled for eleven days before finding help and being returned to civilization. A Uruguayan rugby team survived 72 days after their plane crashed in the Andes Mountains, which is the longest mountain survival story.
I love stories about survival. People pushing through intense adversity, beating the odds, and overcoming the impossible. The details of each individual story vary greatly, from the location of the despair, to the type and severity of the injuries, the weather conditions, and hurdles each had to overcome.
One thing that all of these survivors had in common is that, at some point, they had to come to terms with the realization that they were on their own… that no one was coming to save them. That moment when a person realizes that no one is coming to save them is likely the moment that has the most impact on those that go on to survive and separates them from those that don’t. Because it is at that moment that people either give up, thinking all hope is lost, or alter their thinking, switch gears, and commit to getting out alive no matter what.
Our own lives are plagued with adversity, dilemmas, and set-backs. We are required to make decisions daily that impact our futures. Our success or failure often hinges on the decisions we make. We cling to the idea that our solutions are right around the corner. And that clinging isn’t the problem, as our solutions often are just around the corner. The problem is that we think the solutions to our problems are coming from somewhere or someone else. So, we wait… and wait… and wait some more.
The biggest change and the greatest success come when you realize that you are responsible for those changes and successes. When you realize that nobody is coming to save you, that is when you get going.
A great example of this is your healthcare. So many are waiting for their doctor, their insurance company, or the pharmaceutical industry to provide the solution to their health problems. Most chronic illness is the result of lifestyle choices. If the problem is the result of your choices, then the solution is making better choices. That means you. The best doctor, the most comprehensive insurance plan, and the most powerful medicine will not save you. The change that is needed, the solution to the problem, starts with you.
Too often, we think our financial, health, work, and relationship problems will get solved by someone else or by something else, other than ourselves. We keep looking and keep waiting, and thus keep struggling. The moment you realize and accept that no one is coming to save you is the moment you will start moving toward the results and success you have been searching for.
If a baby is left alone, and no one comes to save it, it cannot survive. But a baby is truly helpless and dependent on someone to care for it. You are not a baby. You are not helpless. So, to remain inactive, to avoid taking action, to refrain from taking responsibility will leave you stranded, stagnant, and unfulfilled.
Those that have survived in the most brutal survival stories are those that not only realized that no one was coming to save them, they took full responsibility for what they needed to do next. They dug deep, used their instincts, remembered every survival skill they had ever learned, and took action. You are likely surrounded by people that love and care for you, you likely have a support network that is there if you are in need, and you probably have people you can count on, but nobody will work harder at helping you than you. Nobody is coming to save you… it is time to get moving.
