I am sitting calmly in front of a huge picture window, the sunlight warming my face. No one is seated near me or is even close by at all. My coffee is delicious, hot, and its steam is circling the rim of the cup. The clouds are few but those that are floating in the deep blue sky, resemble cotton balls, white, wispy and full of air…..oh maybe they look more like cotton candy. Birds are flying slowly back and forth as if to say good morning to me, and we are here to keep you company. Sounds like I am enjoying a day of vacation in a tropical location…..not so. Just two hours ago, this same space, the airport, felt very different. The calm I am sitting in now was replaced with tension that you could almost feel. Delayed flights at my local airport. Frustrated voices, people pacing, sighing, checking their cell phones over and over again as if the answer was suddenly going to change. Impatience was everywhere coupled with major disappointment. The loss of control was hanging in the air. I was here and I watched it all happen…people reacting, some with anger, some with quiet defeat. And I could feel myself being pulled into it too. Because when things don’t go as we planned, it is so easy to forget how to just take a breather and pause for a moment.
I think I was less upset about actually being delayed, than I was about my lack of control in this situation. Because when life changes without asking us first, it doesn’t just shift our plans, it tests our patience, our understanding, and how we choose to respond in the moment. We can very rapidly become unglued and lose our footing. I wanted to fix something that I could not fix.
I took a few deep breaths and instead of letting it take over, I caught myself. This is where our own patience lives…in a brief moment that can define a tense situation and either make it worse or make it ok!!!! In this moment, I choose patience over panic and understanding over frustration for the folks working diligently to help us. It was not easy…it was MY CHOICE in a small moment. And it is that choice that lead me to the first paragraph of this blog, where I actually described what sounded like a lovely vacation day. That was really a description of the gate I was sitting at after the storm had passed and everyone’s individual situation was sorted out. And yes, I felt a sense of calm and I actually enjoyed sitting by the airport window, reading my book, and eating my free breakfast (compliments of the airline). I was waiting for my delayed flight to board…three hours later than I had planned. Life is about choices.
Are you wondering…..what does choosing patience look like? How can we get there during times of stress or times when we have no control over our situation? Maybe some of these suggestions, which have worked for me, will work for YOU!!!
Make a conscience effort to pause before reacting. Breathe in and breathe out. Let go of your frustration. Remind yourself, “this is not in my control but how I react is in my control.”
Perhaps softening thoughts about those around us. We are all experiencing the same situation of uncertainty. Let’s not add to the tension, but instead let’s bring little a calm. Additionally, let’s make sure we treat those trying to help us with the same respect and calmness that we would expect ourselves.
This one sounds lovely but might not be the easiest, but I love it. Maybe we can view these moments differently. Maybe they are invitations, not interruptions. Invitations to slow down, to practice understanding, to remember that not everything needs my immediate reaction. Maybe, the best reaction is to do nothing at all. Breathe, let the moment be what it is.
Now, sitting here in the quiet, watching the sun, the clouds, the birds, and experiencing the world moving at a slower pace, I can’t help but think to myself….the situation did not really change that much….I did. Same airport, same delay. Just a different way of me showing up in this moment. I saw a quote once, “peace isn’t always found in the place, it’s found in the choice.” So, today's lesson learned…. perhaps my real journey was not about getting to my destination faster, it was about learning how to "be, feel, and act" while I am on the way. And this realization made all of the difference for me today.