The stories of human tragedy bring home the true toll of flight disaster

I am sure that many people across the world had the same reaction as me when the news of the disaster which befell the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 started to filter through.

The initial reaction was shock and disbelief that a commercial plane carrying almost 300 people could be blown out of the sky by people who obviously had access to sophisticated weaponry.

Somehow this attack felt very different to the kind of terrorist incidents that have blighted the world in recent years.

 We have all become used to travelling to distant lands and flying is still one of the safest forms of transport. That is why this particular incident has been so shocking and has caused so much interest across the globe.

But when the human stories started to emerge in the days following the attack the true depth of the horror of what took place in the skies above The Ukraine really started to sink in.

No doubt the arguments about exactly what happened and who was to blame will carry on for months and may never be fully resolved but the reality is that 300 innocent souls lost their lives over a conflict that had absolutely nothing to do with them.

The flight, which headed for Malaysia, was filled with people heading off to adventures, holidays, conferences and work. They were all human beings with the rest of their lives to look forward to and all of them have had that ripped from them.

But even more than that all of them have left families and loved ones behind who will no doubt spend the rest of their lives grieving.

It is impossible to imagine what the people who lost their friends, partners and families must be going through at this moment in time.

What this terrible incident did bring home to me as an individual is just how important the people are who are closest to you in life.

The pace of modern life has become unrelenting and if you want success in your career then you have to be prepared to put in the hard graft and the hard hours. We all have to make sacrifices but it is always important to get the balance right.

There is no doubt that if you are successful in life then the rewards will come your way. But it is always worth remembering that good things in life such as the big houses, expensive cars and holidays in beautiful places are worth nothing at all if you have no one to share them with.

That is why having a strong, supportive and loving family around you is so important.