I’m on my way to Madrid, to a retreat for Success Unlimited Network coaches. I’ve been very excited about attending my first retreat, looking forward to mingling with so many like-minded people, learning new ideas and gaining new insights. I’m even presenting one of the workshops: Positive Team Coaching. I’m pretty confident going into the workshop, as I’ll be sharing ideas that I feel very strongly about, and have lived deeply this last year.

The trip started out much differently than I’d anticipated. The flight was scheduled to leave at 3:26 on Friday, through Atlanta, then to Madrid by 9:35 Saturday morning. My husband took me to the airport, we arrived 1 hour before lift-off (as usual). Much to my chagrin, the flight had changed and left 1 hour early; I’d just missed it. Traveling overseas means you can’t easily make changes, and I was totally flummoxed. Totally forgetting my own beliefs in happily accepting surprises from the universe, saying “Is that so?” when things don’t go well, and going with the flow, I immediately went into drama mode. “Woe is me! I’m going to miss all the best parts if I’m not there by tomorrow morning! I’ll miss the ride to the hotel, and have to pay a gazillion euros for a taxi ride! How could you have done this to me!” Etc. The airline rep worked diligently, and put me on a flight to Atlanta leaving in 3 hours, then a flight to Paris, where I would have to get off the plane and go through customs, then on to Madrid, arriving on Saturday afternoon. I was not happy, but at least I wouldn’t miss the opening ceremony.

I kissed my husband goodbye and went through TSA, where the attendant motioned me over. “You’ve been randomly selected to be searched,” he said. “Of course!” I replied, resigned. They did the high-tech probe thing (better than being patted down), and I made my way to the gate, to wait for 3 hours. Got on the plane, where the pilot announced that there was a tear in the front tire, and they had to roust a mechanic out of his home to come take a look. OK, I still have a little leeway to get to my next flight. 45 minutes later, the pilot announced that the tire would have to be changed, which takes about 1 ½ hours. There goes my connection!

At this point I took stock. I know better than to think “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, I asked, “Why is this happening for me?” OK: The trip started out “disastrously”. I was given an opportunity to say “Is that so?” and accept what happened. Instead, I chose to be a drama queen and fight against the situation. All right, says the universe, let me give you another opportunity: selected to be frisked. This time I chose not the drama queen, but the martyr. OK, says the universe, unabashed, let me give you yet another opportunity: busted tire. This time it sunk in. I took a deep breath, and took stock:
1. I am alive, check. I am sitting in first class, check. I can leave the airplane and get some dinner, check. I have a perfectly wonderful husband who is a wizard at making travel arrangements, check.
2. So I was going to miss the opening celebration. How important was that in the greater scheme of things?
3. If I needed to take a taxi to the hotel, I would simply take a taxi. No big deal.
I called my husband, who went to work, and called back within minutes: he’d booked me a flight directly from Atlanta to Madrid, leaving at 6:50 Saturday evening, arriving in Madrid at 12:35 Sunday morning. He also booked me a room at the Atlanta Marriott using his platinum points.

I decided to enjoy this trip instead of fight it, to be very, very present, and to notice all the people and scenes around me. So I sat back, had a glass of wine (frequent flyer miles are a GOOD thing), read my book, and flew to Atlanta. No other obstacles, no other problems. The room in the Marriott is wonderful, down comforter and pillows, wine and cheese awaiting me. I now have an entire day to relax and do whatever I want before I fly to Madrid.

My next big lesson: Accepting that I have a whole day to do nothing. Can I do it? Stay tuned….