Do you ever wonder why sometimes the best laid plans take an unexpected turn leaving you in a lurch, frustrated, or even angry? It could be an invitation from the Universe to see things through a different lens.
Recently, I was on one of my travel excursions to the South of France where I was to convene with 13 women from around the globe for our last Mastermind Retreat of the year. I carefully planned this trip so I could spend some time on the beaches of St. Tropez and Cannes before our 3-day meetings began.
Apparently, the Universe had different plans for me!
After a long day of flying from Seattle to DC, the pilot came on to let us know that the airport was closed due to a severe thunder and lightning storm and that we would be rerouted to Raleigh Durham, NC for the night. Great, now I’d miss my connection to Dublin! Little did I know, that was the least of my problems! Over the course of the next few days, I found myself in places I could never have predicted. Disappointed? Yes. Mad? No.
After four days and four flights, three continents, two rather interesting hotel stays, a night held captive in the DC airport, a crowed train and one set of clothes, I arrived in Cannes. From Seattle, to Raleigh, to DC, to Casablanca (yep, the one in Morocco), to Nice, then finally onto Cannes. After all of that, the €26 glass of champagne was completely worth it!
This unexpected turn of events would have spun a less evolved version of me into feeling like a victim, and I may not have behaved with grace and compassion for the many people who were doing their best to help everyone who had been stranded. However, I kept asking myself, “what am I meant to learn from this experience?” “What wisdom does the Universe want me to gain from this seemingly unfortunate roundabout way to my destination?”
As I reflected on these questions with the knowledge that life is happening for me rather than to me, I reminded myself of the wonderful new friend who sat next to me on the flight out of Seattle. She came all the way from Virginia to gather up her mother-in-law and accompany her back for a family visit. That’s love. We ended up spending quite a lot of time together, and now, I have a new friend on the other side of the country!
I also met a charismatic young Arabic man named Faizullah who worked as an esthetician at the airport “spa” in Casablanca. I had plenty of time before my flight, so giving into his charm, I agreed to an electronic chair massage for €9. Once he had me securely seated in the chair with the mechanical hands doing their best to massage my tired muscles, Faizullah went on to sell me the benefits of Argan and Prickly Pear skin care products. What could I do? After enjoying traditional mint tea served in a crystal glass and yummy Arabic cookies, I walked out of his shop with €100 worth of skin care products.
When I give myself permission to see things differently, I feel more at peace, less anxious, and confident that everything will work out for me.
When life happens in seemingly “undesirable” ways, there’s a nugget of wisdom to be discovered. How you choose to see your situation can make or break your day. It’s up to you.