A Valuable Lesson in Gratitude
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A Valuable Lesson in Gratitude

 

 

I love my job! The only tough part of my profession is that I travel constantly. On American Airlines alone, I have over 11 million frequent flyer miles!

Have you ever seen the movie Up in the Air, starring George Clooney?  If you have, you will know what this means – I have the card!

Not only do I travel in the United States, I travel around the world. I have over 1 million flyer miles on British Airways. You know you travel a lot when you have over 1 million frequent flyer miles on an airline from country that you don’t even live in!

If you travel as much as I do, you cannot let the day-to-day tribulations of life on the road get on your nerves. If you do, you will quickly go crazy!

The airplane is a fascinating place to watch people become agitated, upset, and angry in a manner that is completely useless – over environmental factors they cannot impact.

I’ve learned a few simple lessons in my travels. For example, I cannot make the plane take off and I cannot make the plane land. I have almost no control over anything that happens.

One environmental trigger that makes a lot of people crazy is the announcement that the airplane is going to be late. I’ve seen so many people upset themselves, get angry, yell at flight attendants, and act like fools because the plane is late.

I have found simple way to turn this negative trigger, the announcement that the plane will be late, into positive trigger.

Every time I hear the announcement that the plane will be late, I remember a picture in my library - a picture of me on a volunteer trip to Africa with the Red Cross when I was about 30 years old. The picture shows me with many starving children. Their arms are being measured. If their arms are too big they do not eat. If their arms are too small they don’t eat. Their arms have to be just the right size – meaning they are not too hungry to survive and not too well fed so as not to need food – their arms size determines if they will eat that day.

This was an eye-opening experience for me that I never want to forget. It reminds me how fortunate I am. When I feel “justifiably” upset, I remember that photo and those beautiful children. I repeat this mantra over and over in my mind: “Never complain because the airplane is late. There are people in the world who have real problems. They have problems you cannot even begin to imagine. You are a very lucky man. Never complain because the airplane is late.”

Next time that you board an airplane, and you hear the announcement that the airplane is going to be late, say to yourself, “I am such a lucky person.”

I hope someday that this story helps you turn a moment of pain and anger into a moment of gratitude and joy.

Triggers is a #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller! Order it at Amazon. See The Marshall Goldsmith Thinkers50 Video Blog for more of this video series.

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Corrinne Armour CSP

Keynote Speaker | Trainer | Author of ‘Leaders Who Ask’ & ‘Developing Direct Reports’ | Coach | Fearless Leadership® - the courageous shift to engage in essential conversations that build trust and move us forward

8y

Marshall Goldsmith thank you for a very important reminder. I worked in a jungle refugee camp on the Thai-Burmese border for 2 years. When I came back I put a sign up above my desk: "Do you have rice" Is anyone dropping shells on you/". If my answer was "yes" to the first and "no" to the second it was a good day! Much to be grateful for.

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Gianluigi De Bernardi

General Manager presso Feralco Italia S.r.l. & Executive Coach

8y

Thank you Marshall Goldsmith for your words! Fully agree! We have to be GRATEFUL for what we arte and for what we have, being ready to share with others our abundance

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Rick Peters

Professional Emeritus The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe - Executive Director The Legacy

8y

My sentiments exactly. It amazes me the meaningless things that get people upset. There are so many examples one can point to that should provide all of us with a proper perspective and recognition of how truly blessed we are.

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Chatchai Supprapruth, CPSM, CPIM, Dip. SCM℗ (ITC)

General Manager - Supply Chain & Operations at Brenntag Ingredients (Thailand) Public Company Limited

8y

A good reading to trigger us to become the type of person we want to be.

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