Hanging with tension

Recently I went on a work trip, it was the first trip I had been on for about 2 years and included a taxi ride, two flights, and a hire car and the same in reverse.

I was very nervous about flying especially through Sydney and COVID. Because I am trained in recognising where my focus was going ie fear of something going wrong, fear of being isolated and stuck somewhere other than home, I refocused on an amazing short adventure and some downtime away from the kids.

The trip started with the taxi being 30mins late even after I booked it. The taxi driver got lost and I only just made it to the airport on time for check-in.

So the trip didn’t start well, I was feeling the tension build and feeling all sorts of weird feelings.

The rest of the trip to the destination was fine and actually flowed quite well.

The night before I was due to fly back home is when the tension really hit.

I first got the ‘your flight is canceled’ text and then went into a tiz. Freaking out, thinking I wont get home, ill be stuck here, ill miss my daughter’s 21st etc Its too far for me to drive (over 10 hours) etc

FULL melt-down mode! I quickly got on and rebooked with another airline for the same time as I was originally meant to fly out, 6.30am.

Suffice to say, I rocked up at the airport VERY early, like at 5.15am because there was no way I was going to miss this flight. Checked-in ok, went and sat in the lounge waiting for my flight.

We were delayed by an hour and ended up boarding at 7.30am, I thought thank god my connecting flight is later in the day! We all hop on board, the steward did the safety speech, a mother with her two kids who have just flown from the UK was feeling much better and relaxed because she could still make her connecting flight home in Sydney.

THEN, IT HAPPENED.

‘Sorry ladies and gentlemen, we actually have to ask you to disembark this flight as the airplane is failing its electronics check’!

WTF! The tension started to rise again.

The mother with her two kids desperately trying to get to Sydney was freaking out. If she missed the connecting fly back home it could take hours before she gets the next one AND will have to pay extra!

Then I recentred and thought, its ok they assured us they will seek another plane and we will be out of here in no time. One excruciating hour later we are on board ready to fly to Sydney. The relief just encompassed my body all over, I thought at least If I get stuck in Sydney I can hire a car home or stay with my brother-in-law.

We get to Sydney and I relax and had lunch and just waited for my next flight. 5 hours later, im sitting in the lounge of the gate we are due to fly out of, and then I’m faced with many disgruntled people complaining that their flights have either been delayed (by 1-2 hours) or canceled. Here I start to think, oh no im likely to be in a similar boat. I felt the tension rising again!

I then decided to recentre and focus on my end result – flying into my home town in the afternoon, my hubby and kids waiting for me at the airport. As the minutes passed, more and more announcements were made about flights being significantly delayed and canceled. It took will for me to keep staying in my end result and not give into my egoic tension of ‘im going to be stranded’. A few times I slipped. The flight that was due to depart before mine was delayed with no new time provided. I started thinking oh no, that means mine will be delayed. But I realised that I was making this a condition ie I cant fly out until this plane goes before me. I realised that my focus was going to that condition. I quickly changed my focus, stayed in my end result and would you believe my flight departed at the exact right time it was due to fly out! I was on my way home!

I was met with familiar faces on the plane, I knew the pilot and the steward and it was a beautiful, relaxing and smooth flight home. Now, this wasn’t the case outside, it was at the time that Sydney was suffering horrendous weather conditions which is why all the planes were being delayed and canceled. But for some reason, my flight was smooth, on time and hubby and kids were waiting for me. Such relief.

The moral of this story is if I didn’t catch where my focus was truly going and refocused on what I actually wanted, who knows what could have happened. Knowing where your focus is, helps you to see what you are likely to create. The higher the tension, the more creative tension you have to work with and achieve your end result. This was proof to me.

Where is your focus?

On your true end result?

Or on what you think needs to happen (condition) before you can get it?