Have you ever been in a situation where a decision you made determined whether a person continues to live or dies?

And even more interesting…

Did any of the people who were around you get annoyed at the decision you made that actually determined the fate of someone’s life?

And just so you know…

I’m not referring to those situations where a loved one may be on life support.

Let me explain.

When I was in the fitness industry I worked for a large fitness chain outfit. You would know the name if I mentioned it.

On this particular day an older gentleman—I’d say in his 60’s—came in and inquired about signing up for some personal training sessions. The fitness manager and his boss had me come into the office and speak to this gentleman.

The man was eager to get started.

Now upon speaking with him—and also finding out from the fitness manager and his boss—it was discovered that this gentleman recently had heart surgery. And according to him (the man) was ok to go through a fitness training routine.

I knew that in situations like this, no matter what the person says, that it’s wise and certainly safe to check with his doctor. So after speaking with him in the office I made sure to get his doctor’s information and call him up the next day…so therefore this gentleman did not sign up for any personal training sessions.

After he left the office, the fitness manager and his boss were…FURIOUS.

In a rather sarcastic voice while angrily shuffling the man’s paper work on their desks, they said that I didn’t need to call the doctor and that this gentleman was ok to work out, and that I should have signed him up anyway.

Despite the angry look on their faces followed up with a sarcastic smile, I felt it was important to double check and make sure.

So I called up the doctor’s office and spoke to the receptionist. I told her the situation. Now while I waited to hear back from her, something interesting happened…actually two interesting things happened.

First, the man who came in for the training actually thanked me for taking the time to call his doctor. I found that to be interesting but something still felt out of place.

And second…

I never heard back from the doctor’s office…or the gentleman wanting to sign up for personal training sessions.

Now for someone that was so excited and ready to pay for personal training sessions to all of a sudden back out was interesting.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because you never know how one small decision you make could actually save a person’s life.

Of course you may say that there’s really no proof that anything would have happened to him had I decided to train him. However, the entire situation just seemed out of place.

And the other crucial factor…

There are so many times that you for sure have prevented something “tragic” from happening…even before it happened.

See, we as humans have a large tendency to only believe things after we see them happen…

But very rarely are aware of the undesirable things that we prevented from happening. Because after all, we all want the proof. How can we ever have proof that we prevented something happening?

Think about that for a moment.

In the case of this gentleman, I had back then (and still do) a very strong sense that he was saved from having something undesirable happen to him. He may not have died—or perhaps he may have—if I had trained him rather than calling his doctor.

The point is that someone cared enough to find out further information. I’m not saying this because I was that person. I could have easily chosen not to call the doctor, train the man, and make money from it.

But to me that’s not providing a caring loving service to someone.

And the reason I bring this up is because it’s something that you can use in your life in a variety of situations…

Because the decisions you make affect many people…ranging from yourself to the others directly and indirectly involved.

So whether this involves your family, friends, acquaintances, or the people you see in public, the same thing applies.

And yes, it can and does save lives in the process…even though you may not see that proof at first or at all for that matter.

Here’s something else to keep in mind…

Each person has a different way of showing their appreciation. Some people will be pretty obvious in their appreciation towards you and others will seem like they don’t care…

But deep down those decisions you make that help another person—and in some cases saves their life—are certainly appreciated.

This even applies to those who may not agree with your decision at first.

On that day when the fitness manager and his boss were furious—because they didn’t make a few extra bucks at the possible expense of another human being’s life—I know for sure that deep down they appreciated the actions I took…

And it didn’t have to be me, it could have been anyone that really cared enough to take that “little” extra time and in the process help someone enjoy a “bigger” and more fulfilling life.

As you go through each day of your life, pay attention to those “little” things you do that make a “big” difference in the quality of another human being’s life…

Because not only does it enhance their overall experience, it also helps you expand yours.

And in the process they realize the value of their life and how magnificent they are…

Which in turn shows how magnificent and special you are…along with the tremendous amount of value you bring to the world.