Deep Survival

I recently finished reading the book Deep Survival: Who lives, Who dies, and Why. The author, Laurence Gonzales writes in reference to a plane accident that nearly took his father's life: "He was twenty-three years old and had to forge a strategy for surviving everything else."

This line struck me. The lesson of survival is not necessarily that I was lucky enough to escape murder after watching my close friend get killed. It is all about the strength required to go on and hopefully live sixty more years after losing a beloved friend.

The following passage found in the second half of the book is also powerful.

Plan the flight and fly the plan. But don't fall in love with the plan. Be open to a changing world and let go of the plan when necessary so that you can make a new plan. Then, as the world and the plan both go through their book of changes, you will always be ready to do the next right thing.

I aspire to be more open to change and accepting of the unexpected, especially things outside the realm of my control. If finishing Peace Corps or immediately heading to grad school doesn't seem like the 'next right thing' it will be okay.