I Thought That I Was Going To Die: A Lesson From Life
I had just overtaken an Army convoy on the Hume Highway travelling in my car from Sydney to Melbourne. My profession at the time was: makeup artist for Channel 7.
The road was desolate, and I was travelling at high speed when my passenger tire suddenly blew out. The car lost control and flipped onto its side, skidding across the road as my left hand dragged on the concrete. In a nanosecond, I thought: No, this is not happening to me!
Trapped; terrified and in horrendous pain with the car laying on its side, I had no idea what injuries I had, only that I couldn’t move.
The Army witnessed the accident and pulled over. I thought I was going to die. I could hear people saying, “Get her out! This car is going to explode!”
After that, the only thing I remember is waking up in the emergency department with surgeons telling me they would amputate four fingers on my left hand.
Alone and scared, I called a friend in the medical field, who instructed the doctors to put my hand on ice and do nothing.
Soon after I was flown by helicopter to Melbourne. I remember sitting across from the doctor, my head still processing the event under strong painkillers, and asking millions of questions. On reflection, it feels like a blur; but I do very distinctly remember being asked, “Where would you like the skin grafted from for your fingers?
Still in shock from the traumatic experience I told them, “Not my butt, I like to wear a g-string.”
Sounds funny now; pretty sure I was deadly serious at the time.
Thankfully, a specialist hand surgeon saved my hand—all my fingers are still intact.
What a wake-up call; that my life could end in an instant.
We think we have all the time in the world. We say to ourselves, ‘Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow’, or ‘I’ll start that business next year … when I have the cash, the time—when the kids go back to school’.
Don’t wait for anything. Ever.
If you wait for life or the right moment, it will pass you, and that opportunity is gone.
Having a near-death experience gives you perspective, but you don’t need that to put your dreams into motion. Most people don’t even make the decision. They march into the future, trying to work out everything they need before it can happen.
It doesn’t work like that.
You decide first. You make a wholehearted decision. Life will then deliver the experiences, resources and people you need to make your dream reality. But not if you don’t say, YES.
This experience woke me up to a deeper appreciation for life.
I decided to live fully and go after what I wanted.
I quit makeup artistry and started a consultancy business specialising in organisational psychology and human potential—which became incredibly successful nationwide.
How you deal with life’s challenges is everything. You can turn every obstacle into an opportunity.
The choice is yours.
