Remembering 9-11 and Living Without Fear

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. For many, myself included, the images of a commercial airplane flying directly into the side of the Word Trade Center still seem very vivid. As you know the twin towers were already on fire and about to colapse when the second attack occurred just minutes later. Everyone who bared witnessed was still confused as to what exactly was going on. Was this some freak accident? How could this even be happening? It just didn't seem to be real. The reality of it all didn't set in until sometime after the second explosion. Adding to everyone's disbelief, news broke that a 3rd plane was also hijacked and then crashed into the Pentagon as well as a 4th in Pennsylvania. It seemed so surreal and to this day it's still hard to grasp what a tremendous affect it has had on our country - the lives it changed and the lives it took.

This wasn't the first tragedy the world has known and it's also not the first terrorist attack on a country. I'm also sorry to say this will be not be last. Just look back a few months to the London bombings. If anyone thought for a moment that it wasn't terrorist related, you need a reality check. It's not just terrorist attacks either, tragedy comes in the form of Mother Nature as well. The recent Hurricane Katrina disaster is still very much real and impacting lives as we speak. So today on the 4 year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, take a moment to remember all of those that lost their lives - those in all 4 planes, the WTC, the Pentagon and all of the rescue workers on the scene at ground zero. New York is a great city and Manhattan in particular is one of my favorite places to be. You can't live your life being afraid. I love NY and I would still move there regardless of how much of a "target" it may be in terms of terrorist attacks. You simply can not let the threat of terrorism control your life.

Should I be afraid to fly? Should I be afraid to go to DC or work in the Pentagon when asked? Should I fear moving to The Big Apple? No. As the saying goes...the only thing to fear is fear itself. When you are a kid and you fall of your bike, you pick yourself up and get back on. The same thing should apply to tragedy. Whether it be 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina, you have to push forward and not be afraid to carry on. Let any tragedy or hurdle in your life teach you something. They say without pain in life, there is no growth. Tragedies like these are extremely painful, but from these experiences there is growth and you can't grow if you allow fear to take hold of you.