I can still remember sitting on the plane as I was heading to Chicago in July to start my coaching training. I was sitting there in anticipation wondering if I made the right decision to go back to school. I had a million thoughts in mind and I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. As I was sitting there, I did know I made a huge decision and that decision would be pivotal. I was nervous, scared, excited, and all that in between.
On my way to Chicago, my flight was delayed once, my carry-on luggage got lost, my phone died, I had no way of contacting my husband who was flying separately, and by the time it was determined my luggage was lost, I had 15 minutes to run to the shuttle that was several football fields away and the shuttle that was sitting there, was going to a different hotel.
I had not been in school for 14 years. I thought long and hard about how day one would be. I kept on thinking how my arrangements were perfect because I gave myself time to travel and prepare. I was also speeding up the process and avoiding detours by bringing my carry-on instead of checking a bag. What’s even funnier is the fact Chicago was having its first major heat wave that summer and I had no clothes at that point to help prepare me for 100-degree temperatures.
Life has an ironic way of happening. We as humans have an even better way to respond. We have a choice with what happens next.
I could have responded in a variety of ways:
Give up, go home; all things were working against me
Get angry; yell at the airlines and the staff at the airport for all that mistakes that were made
Accept it; it is what it is, you win some, you lose some. Hopefully, I get my luggage
Look at it in different lens and help those who were trying to help me; what additional information could I give the baggage assistant to help find my carry-on
Strategize and find solutions; figure out how I will get to training on time with a smile on my face
Have empathy and genuinely feel that everyone was supporting me to help me get me to my destination
Have no judgement; carry on, I choose what’s next
I’m not going to lie; I was pretty angry when all of this was going on. My exact thoughts were “How do you lose a carry-on?” I wanted to write a review about all the mistakes that had happened and shed light about how none of this should have happened in the first place. However, I’m not really that kind of person.
Things actually started to turn around, though. After about an hour and a half of trying to figure out what happened to my carry-on, the baggage assistant was extremely compassionate and tried to charge my phone and offered me money to buy new clothes, shoes, and accessories for the weekend during this heat wave.
When I got to the shuttle and the shuttle driver told me they weren’t going to my hotel, I wanted to give up and actually walked away. This was now the fifth thing going against me. Was the universe telling me to go home? Was this ALL a mistake?
I did walk away from that shuttle, but the gears started turning in my head. I turned around and started strategizing. Could the shuttle driver help me find someone to take me to the hotel? I walked back and asked him about different options and he responded with hope. He and I worked together to come up with a solution. He told me to get on the shuttle and wait to see if anyone was coming in the next five minutes. If no one came, he would take me to my destination.
The stars were aligned. Within two minutes, we started driving and I made it to the hotel with two minutes to spare.
I ran into the training room, sat down, and didn’t take a breath until class started. It wasn’t until a minute later where all my fears had been melted away. I was where I was meant to be in that exact moment. I had all this pent-up emotion from this trip and it was only the beginning of three-day long training. What I did know was this training was about me and how I wanted to make the most in my life.
Within the first break, I went to the front desk and told them what happened with my carry-on and phone. They were more than courteous. They became my support for the weekend. Their first task was to provide empathy and give a message to my husband when he arrived. Luckily the volunteers had an extra charger for me to charge my phone.
Within the second break, my husband had arrived and he was where he needed to be.
By lunch, the airlines notified me that they found my luggage. Hallelujah!
By the end of training that day, the hotel worked with the airlines to get my carry-on. Finally, I had my luggage and was able to fully relax and decompress from the day.
I tell you this story because all of this was so incredibly uncomfortable. The odds at several points of this day were not in my favor. You could even say I started out with a lot of negative energy, but I so desperately wanted to change it into positive energy. When I made that switch from negative to positive, things did change. Solutions were everywhere and it was time to be creative.
What I love about this story is that going to iPec was one of best decisions I have ever made. There was a small part of me that was about to just go home because I was scared about what was going to happen next. I mean with all those things happening, it sounded like the universe was trying to send me a message. However, when I got into my seat and we instantly started going through the material, everything resonated and this was my lesson.
We are going to run into roadblocks, detours, and obstacles. We are going to have little wins, triumphs, and successes. We are going to run into situations where we don’t know what to do next and we get mad and want to give up no matter how much we prepare ourselves. However, we always have choice and those roadblocks, detours, and obstacles get you closer to the little wins, triumphs, and successes.
Think about it... what is the easiest thing we can do? It’s probably sticking with something and not changing whether it’s trying to go for a different job, doing a speaking engagement, getting on a plane to explore a new place, going back to school, getting married, deciding to date again, choosing to plan a family, etc. All of it can be uncomfortable because of the unknown. We as humans don’t like to feel pain and most often, we don’t want to fail.
What if.. you could never make a mistake?
Do the impossible! Believe in endless possibilities. Go after your dreams. Go after your destination, the destination that is truly, uniquely yours. We are the planners of our lives. Live life fully, feel the uncomfortable. I promise you, there is always light ready to shine through. Like I said before, those detours bring greater outcomes. It’s an opportunity for growth.
Fast forward seven months, I have now completed my third and final in-class module. I have made so many wonderful connections where these connections feel like family. I have discovered my true passion and that passion is to help people be their best selves during the times of change. This experience has opened my eyes more than I have ever imagined. It has deepened relationships, I became more comfortable sharing my vulnerability, I now have so many new cool tools and skillsets, I started my own coaching and consulting company, and I learned I have the power to be my best authentic self. I am also so extremely grateful for my trainers, peers, volunteers, clients, coaches, friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who has supported me through this journey. Lastly, I am very appreciative to learn this lesson and look back at my energy levels because it taught me, I have complete control and own my destination.
So, honeybees... take the challenge. Do something uncomfortable and choose your best foot forward. After all, all you have to do is be you, believe you have choice, and believe you have the power.