ADOPTED FROM JIM ROHN
A Grenade, a Helmet and a Choice by Ron White
His name was Jason Dunham and he was a corporal in the United States Marines. The story picks up with Jason as he was talking with the men in his unit. They wondered whether a person could jump on a grenade and survive by putting it under his helmet. Deep down they all knew that it most likely wouldn't work, yet on the streets of Baghdad all topics of conversation can soon become quickly exhausted and hypothetical solutions to real-life problems can pass the time.
Unfortunately for Jason Dunham, the circumstance that he had hypothesized about arrived just a few weeks later. However, fortunately for his unit, Corporal Jason Dunham was there. In this life and death scenario, there is no time to think. There is only time for fight or flight. Jason chose fight and performed above and beyond the call of duty. He threw his helmet and body over a grenade and gave his life for his friends. Jason was nominated for The Congressional Medal of Honor. He was 20 years old.
Your stance on political matters or world issues is irrelevant in this scenario. Jason did not do this for you. He did not do it for the people of Baghdad. He didn't do it for the U.S. government or a politician. He did it for the men beside him, period.
To give your life for your friends is perhaps the greatest thing one person can do for another. It is also one of the rarest acts of civilization.
In 1981, shots rang out and bullets screamed through the air to pierce the flesh of the 40th President of the United States. No sooner had the gun powder been ignited than secret service agent Tim McCarthy stood up as straight as a board and extended his arms to make himself a large barrier between would-be assassin John Hinckley and President Reagan. While others ran for cover, Agent McCarthy stood looking directly at his potential death with firm resolve. Tim was shot square in the chest and, believe it or not, that was exactly his goal. As he positioned himself spread eagle to take a bullet for a man, an office and a nation, others cowered in trembling fear. Because of amazing grace, agent McCarthy survived.
What causes men and women to lay down their lives for another? It takes a lot. First and foremost, it takes a realization that life isn't about you. It is about making a difference, about making an impact and about giving.
Jason Dunham and Tim McCarthy were able to respond the way they did because:
• They decided how they were going to respond long before the event occurred.
• They were not selfish people – the farthest you could be from selfish, as a matter of fact.
• They realized that life was not about them; it was about making a difference – it was about others.
I hope with all my heart you are never placed in a situation where you have to choose between your life and those around you. Yet, every day you are in situations where you have to make choices. You must decide right now how you will respond.
The lesson to extract from the lives of Corporal Dunham and Agent McCarthy is that of an overall attitude on life. That attitude, simply put, is that it is better to give than receive. It is honorable to view the lives and well-being of others above yourself. If we can take any pearl of wisdom from the extraordinary lives and attitudes of these two men, it is that making an impact on the world is not always about recognition, power, money or personal gain. Sometimes the greatest success is one who gives himself up so others can succeed. That is the mark of the ultimate high achiever.
Decide today how you will respond in your moments of crisis - whether it is financial, personal or life and death. As you plan your actions, remember the selfless lessons of Corporal Dunham and Agent McCarthy.
