Angela Poe Russell: You never know where your next big life lesson will come from

You never know where your next big life lesson will come from.

At SeaTac Airport, while getting on the train that takes you to various gates, I saw something I’ve seen dozens of times before. But never thought much of it. The train doors were about to close and I spotted a guy running as fast he could towards the vehicle in hopes he could squeeze inside before the doors shut. Unfortunately, he just missed it. I swear his face smacked into the vehicle.

It was awkward.

And some people chuckled.

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All I could think at that moment was how I had never done anything like that. I’ve never run towards a train or after a bus that was about to leave.

My mindset has typically been to wait for the next one.

The question was why?

If I just look at that situation in a silo, there is a risk of embarrassment. I might look ridiculous barely getting on or missing and smacking into the car. Or even worse – injured.

Then, it made me wonder how many times in life I had chosen that mindset. Choosing to play it safe and stay put because it didn’t look like I would make it or measure up.

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

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To run or chase after something that is far fetched leaves us vulnerable and exposed. Rejection could happen. The metaphorical train could take off without us..

But what if you made it?

Staying put, we never know.

There’s this book I’m fascinated with called “The Power of Regret.”

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And in it, the author, Daniel Pink says we are much more likely to regret the chances we didn’t take than the chances we did. In fact, in a survey he completed, inaction regrets outnumbered action regrets by nearly two to one. When we don’t act, – we can only speculate how events would have unfolded.

He frames it this way – listen to both sentences:

If only I had tried

At least I tried.

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One is clearly more comforting than the other.

Look, I highly doubt the next time I’m at the airport I’ll be the one chasing after the train. But no judgment if you do!

But in my everyday life, when I’m once again given a choice to go for it or play it safe, perhaps I will see myself as that guy running for the train as fast as I can.. And whether I make it – won’t be nearly as important as the fact that I at least tried.

Angela Poe Russell is a local media personality and a fill-in host on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here.