Chris Kyle says the bravery of Carlos Arredondo in the Boston bombing aftermath exemplified a purpose moment.
As much as I was horrified by the bombings in Boston, I noticed something very powerful happening in the aftermath of this tragedy. It’s this:
When things are at their worst, human beings are at their best.
As I watched and read about the events unfolding in mid April, I witnessed a great outpouring of care, compassion, support, encouragement and dedication from so many people in and around Boston and from around the world.
From the chaos and pain of the tragedy, heroes emerged, bringing whatever they could bring to help ease the suffering of others.
One such man was Carlos Arredondo, who became known as the “Man in the Cowboy Hat.” Arredondo had already lost his two children—his son Alexander, an American soldier, was shot dead by a sniper in Iraq in 2004 and his son Brian struggled with his brother’s death and committed suicide in 2011. Arredondo became a prominent anti-war activist.
Arredondo attended the Boston Marathon to support the National Guard and a suicide prevention group that were running in honor of his two deceased sons. When the bombs exploded, he raced into the chaos and the smoke, throwing debris away from the victims and making way for paramedics.
Then he noticed Jeff Bauman. Both his legs had been blown off and he was bleeding heavily. Arredondo picked Bauman up and put him in a wheelchair. He pushed him in a wheelchair toward an ambulance while gripping a severed artery in an effort to prevent more blood loss. It was captured in an iconic image seen around the world.
Arredondo could have run away from the danger of the bombing, but instead he chose to move into action to help. For me, he was a shining example of all the acts of caring, generosity and support that showed up in the hours after the bombs went off.
His courageous acts were an example of a “purpose moment,” according to author and purpose expert Richard Leider.
Everyday we are faced with opportunities to give our gifts, our caring, our compassion, and our wisdom to others as an act of service to something beyond ourselves.
For me, I have become increasingly aware that I must make a choice about how I will respond to any given situation no matter how intense, scary or challenging. Increasingly, I am choosing to be of service to others when I have the capacity to do so.
Victor Frankl, the great psychiatrist and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, said:
“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation in any moment.”
Arredondo faced an enormous risk after the bombs went off. He has had so much taken away from him in his life. This was a purpose moment full of danger.
Yet, he chose to put himself in danger with his care and desire to help. As a result, he helped save Bauman’s life. After learning that Bauman survived, Arredondo said: “He’s a very beautiful young man who had the willingness to survive. That’s what makes him my hero.”
Now that’s the mark of a man who has learned and grown from his own pain to see and honor the beauty and courage in another man who faced death.
Arredondo is a hero, not because he’s splashed across the media, but rather because he acted selflessly during his purpose moment on Patriot’s Day.
This fills me with hope and optimism that each and every one of us can grow in our capacity to act courageously and with compassion when our purpose moments arrive.
Keep your eyes—and your heart—open. You never know when that next purpose moment might arrive, allowing you to walk your own hero’s path.
Read more on Boston: Who Is Greater?
Photo: carneasadaburrito flickr
Great article Chris – appreciate your insight on this…such an important perspective!
I have known and worked with Chris Kyle for many, many years. This piece of writing struck a chord deep within me. I understood, maybe in a way I had never considered before, that every event, whether interpreted as catastrophic or beautiful, presents an opportunity for every man and woman to access the best in themselves; to bring forth the essence of who they really are. This article demonstrates that principle in simple and powerful language. It has helped me reframe this event from tragic to heroic.
So amazing! This is a great perspective on a tragic moment in american history. There is truly light that rises out of darkness! This article helps me realize to be present and accepting of the challenges that show up in life and to take decisive, intuitive action, even in the face of great fear. Something beautiful emerges in an individual that is connected to a benevolent grace that this world is calling for.
Great reminder that action comes from the heart not the head. I love the notion of the purpose moment. This story is a great holder for looking for those in my life. Thanks for the good writing, Chris.
Thank you Chris, for keeping your light shining on the power and beauty capable of mankind, amidst devastation and tragedy.The courage, selflessness, and commitment to step towards a man, a stranger, with two blown-off limbs, not knowing what may happen next, is beyond what I can imagine. Men like Carlos are like a beacon of light, shining on a path that I can only hope to walk myself. Carlos’ actions are a literal example of the “Hero’s Journey” whereby the only way OUT of a situation is THROUGH IT!
What strikes me the most about the way in which Carlos responded to this “purpose moment” is that it came from a deep place within him that is way beyond the rational mind and any conscious decision to step forward or backward – into the moment or away from it to a place of safety. So I’m left wondering “How do we nurture that part of ourselves that will step into the danger when all our senses may say RUN?” For Carlos did it come from the tragedies he’s already faced and found a way to move forward in his… Read more »
In answering his life changing wake up call which was the loss of his two children, Carlos modeled how a man can transcend one of his most painful life moments into heart felt purposeful service of others.
It often takes moments like these to “wake up” to who we are and what we are meant to do .
What strikes me about Carlos was that his “instinct” to act came from his heart…with no time to think…and thus defining him as a true man.