A few weeks ago, I had a rough flight from Miami to New York City. It was the perfect ride for a turbulent era, and I learned a lot about money and the markets during that trip. That's because the flight was almost as volatile as the stock market following a grim unemployment report.
As we rocked and dropped through cloud vapors, I studied my options: 1) Pray, 2)Write notes to friends and family, or 3) Go to sleep.
I decided against sleep. Been there, done that. In fact, I can honestly say that I've slept or sleepwalked through other periods of personal or financial turbulence. But that solution solved very little and instead, when I was finally jolted awake, I rubbed my eyes feeling dumb and dumbfounded. So I nixed the sleep option.
Write letters to friends and family? Not very practical, especially due to the up-and-down motion of the plane. And besides, I was too tense and too lazy to string together a coherent sentence. I can't write when I'm uptight.
Prayers? Hmm. Frankly, I offered up a few whispered bargains, deals and promises. And whatever I said, must have worked because I'm here now in front of my Dell laptop computer, which needs a new battery. (And I'm now praying that my battery will be recalled, so that I can call the company for a free replacement.) And anyway, while praying I stared at the clouds and while meditating on clouds, I had a flight of clarity. I calculated that if that moment in the air was really my last, I could at least enjoy the ride.
I re-considered the turbulence. It was a fun ride. In fact, at Disneyworld and Universal Studios I have paid good money -- lots of money --over the years for such thrill rides. And if this was going to be my last flight, at least, I could relax and enjoy myself.
Okay, so I'm not trying to sound like a Pollyanna, but at that moment, the terror stopped even though the turbulence continued. I had no control over the plane, but I could control my roller coaster of emotions. And I am applying that lesson to my obsessions about politics, world events, job security, regrets, missed opportunities and economic uncertainty.
My new contract: I'm going to do my best, say a few prayers and admire clouds. And yeah, I'm enjoying the ride.
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Love it! No need to worry about things out of your control. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI used to try to sleep when caught in the kind of flights you have talked about.
ReplyDeleteI have also taken the standpoint that if this is to be "it", then there is nothing I can do about it anyway.
I has calmed me a lot.
I must say that I have very often wondered about what the other cheerful guys in the same flight are thinking about.