Do you remember that song from The Music Man? It poked fun at a bunch of chattering women, and the song comes to mind every time I’m exposed to “chatter” in public places. This week, I was surrounded by chatter about major plane delays due to storms around the country.
My family was converging in Virginia from around the country. A flight from LAX was cancelled and six people were split into two separate flights. A flight from Portland, OR was two hours delayed.
I had boarded my flight and was ready to go when they announced a delay of an hour. The flight crew allowed people to disembark as long as they brought all of their baggage with them. Twenty or so people stumbled off, laden with suitcases, only to find out that the delay wasn’t really going to be that long, so they had to come back right away.
“Pick a little, talk a little….”
I’m not a great fan of flying these days, but one thing I know is that if you get excitable about delays, your bad energy spreads to everyone around you. If you’re an experienced flyer, delays are part of the package.
If you feel and act victimized when “life happens”, you will undoubtedly experience the worst of the drama that ensues. Why not contribute to improving your immediate environment by allowing more of a Zen attitude to permeate you, thereby decreasing the negative chatter around you.
Leaders lead. They don’t act like victims. They manage what is in their control and make the best of what isn’t.
I made the best of my situation by writing today’s column. Now, if we would only take off….
Have a great day!
