
It Took The Wind Out Of My Sails
Part 1 – The Facts
by Rick Stecker
(This post first appeared on Substack as “It Took The Wind Out Of My Sails – Part 1” – Subscribe here)
That Tuesday morning started early. First, I met with my long-standing business network group. Next followed a lively one-on-one with a fellow member. All seemed good, yet I felt something wasn’t right — with me, physically.
What happened next took the wind out of my sails. I decided to get checked out at a local walk-in clinic. Test results prompted the PA to send me to the hospital emergency room. In the ER, more scans found significant arterial blockages. I was told I would have to undergo a heart catheterization.
What? I hadn’t felt that bad. Suddenly, I was at the mercy of a rising tide of angst, anguish and an inevitable outcome that I had neither anticipated nor desired. Wait a minute, I implored, “What if I don’t want to do that?”
Moments later I was hearing about findings that far exceeded normal limits, and facts on my percentage of plaque buildup, plus numbers that raised my chances of experiencing a serious event sooner rather than later. The doctors exhorted me to see the wisdom of the solution they offered.
In those brief minutes, a new tide had begun rising within me. The scan results presented a dark picture. They said I was at high risk. Yet I didn’t want to subject myself to living in that Risk Zone. I wanted to reside in a Success Zone. So, in that moment I had said No! to the procedure. I was not mentally ready.
The rising tide that rose in me, the resolve that I was able to display, shifted the moment. A new grace filled me and rippled into the room. I had found myself doing something I had never done before. I found the freedom to refuse.
What took place after that carried me through the rest of that critical moment. Lessons arose that became enlightening.
In Part 2 – The Faith, I’ll explain.

About the Author
Rick Stecker is a personal growth specialist, writer and speaker helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. Rick's first job was as a reporter covering crime for a daily newspaper. Then came a stint on the high seas in Navy public relations aboard an aircraft carrier.
What followed was 25 years in corporate communications. Yet when a buyout forced a career change, Rick took his accumulated experience and built a consulting business, Grounds to Grow Coaching.
Rick authored his first book "Making Choices Like A Champion" to help others grow their capabilities. His second book, "The Chronicles of Mikey & Me" reflects on lessons learned out in the marsh with his first duck dog. In the works is Rick's next book, "The Benevolent Merger" aimed at helping those looking for personal growth to be victorious in their thinking. Rick's writings for the Internet can be found on Substack at ‘Rick Stecker’s Rising Tides’ (rickstecker.substack.com). Be sure to subscribe!
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