9/11 brings back a wave of memories for me…of visiting the World Trade Center countless times as a teen…of huddling in our fitness room at the office watching the news as the second plane hit…of immediately worrying about my son who was in U.S. Army basic training at the time…of calling my Dad multiple times that day in disbelief…of this last photo, taken just 10 months before the towers were attacked.

I remember flying home to visit my parents just a week later.  There were only a handful of passengers on the plane; many people were still afraid to fly to that area.  As we approached Newark Airport, we could see the still smoldering pile of rubble where the towers once stood.  It was a sad sight, indeed.

There is so much that we can take away from this shared national experience.  To help frame our thoughts and actions today, below are a few meaningful quotes that stand out for me.   The most important thing we can do, though, is to live our lives freely and honor those who defend those freedoms by doing and being our very best every day.

For me and my family personally, September 11 was a reminder that life is fleeting, impermanent, and uncertain. Therefore, we must make use of every moment and nurture it with affection, tenderness, beauty, creativity, and laughter. -Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11. -President Barack Obama

The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.” -Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of NYC

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Bookmark and Share