Taking Opportunities for Optimism

To set the scene.....

I would have to say that I love to control just about everything in my own life.  But I am learning to accept small moments of assistance, although often without much grace!  In the business world, the higher up the corporate ladder you climb, the less time you have to actual be in control. 

Your life is dominated by others above, who couldn't care about your own method of time management, what you diary looks like or even what the existing priorities you had on to resolve that day.  On a recent business trip I left the intended flight schedule that met my personal commitments with another to organise. 

Picture from http://www.travelinsurance.org/guide/
what-does-a-typical-travel-insurance-plan-include/

I wanted to leave the afternoon before I needed to be in another state, as the 2 hour flight was going to be a challenge to arrive the same day.  Imagine my surprise to learn that I had been booked on the early morning flight, the same day.  Awesome, I live an hour from the airport and I am on a 6:00 am flight.  I do have to shower, get dressed and drive to meet the flight time, as well as then survive a day long meeting that has a networking event and dinner.

The flight was of course delayed, but only after I arrived at the airport.  Sigh, now I am actually going to arrive late.

The following morning as I prepared to go to the networking breakfast, I glanced down at the itinerary and then had a double take.  For some reason instead of the mid morning flight, I was on an 8:00 am flight.  It is just after 6:00 am and I am over an hour from the airport.

As I was sitting in the lobby, quietly fuming, a hotel staff member comes up and asks if she can make me a coffee to take away?  This lady may have been heaven sent, as I was going to miss breakfast, and also enjoy the Virgin flight without food.  I really don't cope well without food for long periods, or even short periods!

Thankfully the cab driver did not question bringing in a beverage.  We quietly drove a short distance before entering peak hour traffic for the next hour.  I arrived at the airport ten minutes late for the return flight.

Scene set :-).......

Despite all of this, life often hands you moments in time that don't go according to plan, it is what you do in these moments that often defines who you actually are.

The travel company sorted
another flight, in an hours time on Qantas (yay finally food).  With a few minutes spare in my schedule and opportune time to think about the goals for the year, so I swung by the newsagent and picked up a book, 'The Rules of Love'....sounding a bit random?

I have general reading as one of my personal development goals.  I like to read a number of books for both development, general knowledge and just interest or entertainment.  But in this case, the opportunity to have a skip through my relationship and see how I and it was going, well that was money and time well spent. 

No matter how things are going, we can always do better.  It is an expression I use at work and home.  I am half way through the book and have about six pages of notes which will be used to have really interesting conversations with my partner.  The book is very cool and I will use it to publish a series of posts.

But back to the day in question.  I arrived much later than intended, so took the opportunity to head home instead of the office.  I had some quality solo time at home working, then drove against the traffic to pick the youngster up from school.  Despite the opportunity for a really bad day, things turned out pretty well after all.