No Need To Think

When technical skills take over

This week, the original Wiggles put on a concert to raise money for fire effected communities in Australia. I was a bit old for The Wiggles so my appreciation for them is a little meager, but they are one of the most successful entertainment exports this country has ever had.

The Original Wiggles on stage in 2012

By all reports, it was a great show that raised a lot of money. But, tragedy struck when the Yellow Wiggle (Greg Page) collapsed on stage towards the end of the performance. There was immediate commotion as you can imagine.

Grace Jones, a Nurse, was at the concert as a long term fan. When the incident happened she ran up to security without hesitation. She asked to help which was graciously accepted. She took charge and performed resuscitation immediately.

When asked about the event, Jones, simply said “my awesome training kicked in. I wasn’t thinking anything. I just did everything I could to help.”

First responders confirmed that Jones had indeed saved the life of Page. There are a lot of ingredients in this story, but what stuck out to me was the sheer confidence, commitment, and courage this 23 year old showed. At the moment, not a thought crossed her mind before she was taking charge. She was in the zone - almost on auto-pilot.

A great example to reflect on and ask:

What are the technical skills you need to learn to be like Nurse Grace Jones? 

What technical skills do you need to practice until they are a part of you to be like Nurse Grace Jones?

And, what else do you need to experience to be able to ‘save your yellow wiggle’ when the time arrives?