Fortunate Accidents could be summarized as meetings or events that contribute something positive to a person’s life.
Using the platform of the author’s life and experiences to teach lessons on awareness, mindfulness, resilience and emotional maturity, this book shares a formula, or philosophical belief, for manifesting Fortunate Accidents in one’s life.
In addition to lessons learned through athletic pursuits in college and as a professional whitewater kayaker, the author draws from decades of experience working on an ambulance, working with the coroner’s office, instructing for a college and collaborating with military contractors. Through a lifetime of successes and failures, the book explores the mindset that leads to Fortunate Accidents.
Readers, especially those in EMS, will directly relate to the stories and lessons documented and described in the pages of this book. Students coming into the profession will gain life tools that contribute to both personal and career life.
All accidents can be Fortunate Accidents. They contain the seeds of fortune. We water the seeds with resilience when an accident takes us on a downward spiral. We water the seeds with awareness when we are on an upward spiral. In either case, our attitude provides the water that makes our fortunes grow. By remaining mindful of ourselves and aware of the events of our life, we can continue to learn as the process repeats and as we grow.
Though the lessons themselves are timeless, the timeliness of the message is underscored in this excerpt from the book’s final chapter:
“Without distraction, it seemed that people had to face their demons and were having trouble navigating their way through the five stages of growth. The pandemic gave everyone an opportunity to become better individuals for themselves, their families, and their neighbors. Some took advantage of this opportunity. Others did not. We all made mistakes. The choice at hand was to blame others for the mistakes we may have made or to accept responsibility for our errors, moving forward in a peaceful, loving manner.”
Matt Solomon is a civic-minded entrepreneur with a broad spectrum of experiences. He is an accomplished waterman, paramedic, educator, businessman and former member of his local town council. Matt has traveled across the country and around the world in pursuit of experiences, fun and employment. Each of these experiences contributed to adventure and success, yielding a uniquely balanced and well-rounded perspective. As an educator and a leader, Matt inspires his students and associates to challenge themselves in an empowering environment that strives to achieve mutual success and maximum benefit. In his words: be safe, have fun.
Fortunate Accidents is available on Amazon November 22, 2021, in hardcover ($24.95), paperback ($19.95), and Kindle ($6.95) editions. If you or your local bookstore would like to make a bulk purchase, Solomon may be contacted directly at www.FortunateAccidents.com.
