I experienced the frustration of learning in a telephone conversation while on my way to the airport that my flight was 
cancelled due to bad weather and that I was booked on the first flight out the following morning. My head was totally prepared for flying home that evening to see my family. So I am sure you can imagine the surge of emotion I felt upon receiving this news – anger, frustration and complete denial that they could do this to me. I even found myself asking how do you select who flies and who doesn’t.
Inside I was fuming and I worked very hard not to take this out on the person who was conversing with me – after all it wasn’t her fault that this was happening. Certainly tested me – especially since I had spent the last few days developing others and challenging them to take responsibility for their behaviours. And to make things even more interesting I had two program participants sitting in the taxi with me as I engaged in this conversation.
After hanging up on the call I reflected on my conscious choice not to get angry with her and then decided it was time for me to accept the situation – I needed to make my choice as to how I was going to respond. I decided to be calm and to explore the positives and in doing so – chatted to others while standing in the queue to receive my accommodation voucher for the evening. At all times I decided to laugh and to embrace the change that had been imposed on me.
Imagine my delight when, after treating everyone with kindness and understanding I was given a seat on a plane flying out later in the evening, instead of the accommodation voucher I had been expecting……..I was totally grateful for my seat.
The point of the story is that by owning my emotions and choosing a conscious and constructive response I manifested a brilliant outcome.
