There I was in Chicago on a windy evening, in mid-December, and I just wanted to get home. I had been travelling a lot and my wife called to tell me that there were tornado level winds coming up from the south and hitting Minneapolis about an hour before my plane was to land. It didn’t look good for me to get home that night. But I was not worried.
I finished my business and headed to the airport early. I went up to the Delta counter and asked, “Is the flight canceled?” She answered “Nope.” And then 2 seconds lat
er she said “Oops, yes, it is canceled and is rescheduled for tomorrow at 5 a.m. So sorry.” I did not despair. In fact, I was a little excited by the prospect of beating the bad odds as I asked, “Is there another flight I can get on?” She said “Maybe… there is one that says it leaves at
7:30 pm.” I declared, “I know you can get me on it!” I had no evidence that she could, I just was in the mood to make a small miracle. I continued with no small amount of energy, “I believe in you, you are the right one.” She smiled. Emboldened by my confidence in her she quickly started typing and in about 7 seconds said, “I got you on it!” I said, “I knew you could.” She lit up like a Christmas tree and said, “Thank you for your faith in me.” I said, “You are most welcome.”
Later I learned that some were waiting six hours to get on that flight. I don’t think Delta has perfected their waiting list yet.
What is going on here? Was it pure luck or did I source this? I believe it was some of both, but mostly my positivity and also my competitive spirit. What are you sourcing at your work, or in your home? Especially when you are under high stress? Whom are you believing in, and how are you expressing your faith in them, even when the odds look bad for you? Stay as positive as you can, especially when you are tempted towards fear.
I learned to do this from a teacher of mine, Joe Goodbread, who had a similar airport story, only with much higher stakes as he was in Europe and needed to get back to the States. With a name like Goodbread you just know he has good stories.
I wish you the best in your travels and in your conversations!
“Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.”