I Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in Common

I was once stranded with my 86-year-old mother in the Atlantic Ocean. We were on a snorkeling excursion off the coast of Miami, and the two of us were quickly swept behind our boat, my mother overtaken by the current. In her panic, she’d inhaled water into both lungs and lost consciousness. Attempting to tug her to safety, I thrashed and kicked with all my might, but the ocean swallowed my efforts whole. Lungs burning, legs heavy, I changed tactics. I used one hand to keep her head above water and waved the other wildly in the air, shouting for help as I did.

Ultimately, what saved my mother’s life that day, and mine, too, was not fighting the current on my own. It was calling for help. The rescuers who came to our aid knew more than I did about how to handle this kind of emergency. Together, they got my mom onto the boat deck, then to solid ground and finally into the hands of expert medical staff who could care for her properly.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The New York Times