Imagine being three minutes into a flight when suddenly—boom—a loud explosion rocks the plane.
You look over at the flight attendant. She’s smiling. So, you figure… it must be okay.
Then, seconds later, the captain’s voice comes over the speakers: “Brace for impact.” You look back at the flight attendant. This time, her face is sheer terror.
In this video, I want to share a simple but powerful philosophy of life.
In January 2009, Ric Elias was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549 — a flight that became famous after it crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York. (You might remember it as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”)
And in the face of death, Ric discovered something powerful.
He later gave a TED Talk (which I highly recommend watching) titled “3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed”, and one lesson in particular has stayed with me since the first time I heard it:
“I collect bad wines.”
Strange, right?
But Rick explained it this way. We so often collect “good wines”—saving them for the perfect occasion. A birthday. An anniversary. A special milestone.
And then… life happens. The moment doesn’t come. Or worse, we run out of time.
So Rick made a promise to himself. From now on, he’d stop waiting. He’d collect bad wines—not that he started collecting bad wines but decided to start using all his good ones because he wouldn’t wait for some perfect moment to enjoy them. He would create the moment.
This resonated deeply with me.
If you know me well, you know I’m a planner. I’ve always had five- and ten-year plans. I map out my year. My quarter. My week. Planning helps me feel grounded and focused.
But sometimes, I plan too much. I live too far in the future—thinking, preparing, anticipating—and I forget to be in the now.
My wife TK is the opposite. She has always nudged me to embrace the moment more. She is my reminder to carpe diem—to seize the day, even when it’s not “convenient” or in the plan.
So, I came up with my own version of Rick’s philosophy: Enjoy the moment. It’s not about giving up planning—it’s about balancing it. It’s about opening the bottle even if the occasion isn’t perfect. It’s about stepping into joy and presence, especially when it’s unexpected.
So, my question to you is: Are you living too much in the past—replaying old regrets or moments you can’t change? Are you like I was, and still am sometimes, so focused on the future that you miss the magic in front of you? Or have you found that beautiful middle ground between intentional planning and spontaneous living?
Whatever your answer, I hope you open a “good wine” soon—whatever that looks like for you.
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a lovely moment!
A bientôt,
Cyril
