Focus on Responses

I watched the film Gran Turismo last night. After a freak race accident which killed a spectator, race engineer Jack Slater tells Jann Mardenborough, ‘The crash won’t define you but how you respond to it will.’ This line captures more than a racing philosophy; it’s a universal truth about resilience, redemption and purposeful transformation. This same message echoes powerfully in the recent episode I recorded with Jazz Singh - 466 of the Focus on WHY podcast, Rubies in the Rubble.

From this conversation with Jazz, that same truth stands out: adversity does not define you, your response to it does. Jazz’s life turned dramatically after a car crash leads to an accidental death and a prison sentence for Jazz. In that moment of deep solitude and reflection, Jazz chose not to be crushed by guilt or circumstance. Instead, he found clarity, remorse and a powerful sense of purpose: to help others uncover their worth.

Both Jann and Jazz used their lowest moments as turning points. Yann came back to podium in Le Mans and Jazz became a light for himself first before guiding others. This is a reminder that personal transformation is the foundation of meaningful impact.

Jazz’s episode challenges you to reflect on your own ‘crashes’—the moments you’ve fallen, failed or been broken by life. Rather than burying them, you’re invited to examine them and ask: What can I learn here? Who can I help because of this?

One of Jazz’s most compelling ideas is the notion of finding ‘rubies in the rubble’. He reminds you that even in the places society often overlooks—prisons, marginalised communities or within your own mistakes—there are gems of potential waiting to be discovered. Jazz urges you to challenge your unconscious biases and see beyond the surface, to uncover the value in others and in yourself.

Whether you’re a fan of high-speed drama or real-life redemption, the takeaway is the same: life’s crashes don’t define you; your responses do. So, what’s your next step? What rubble in your life holds rubies you’ve yet to uncover? Let this be your invitation to reflect deeply, act purposefully and help others rise with you.

What adversity in your life has shaped you the most? What strength has come from that experience? Who could benefit from what you’ve learned? What action can you take this week to turn your reflection into impact?

Commit to transforming one personal adversity into purposeful action because as both Jazz and Jann show you, the most powerful stories begin when you choose to rise from the wreckage. Transformation starts not with avoiding the crash but with owning it, learning from it and using it to build something better.

Focus on Responses. Focus on Why!

REFLECTION WITH ACTION: What adversity in your life holds a hidden strength you can transform into purposeful action to uplift yourself and others?