I had a dreadful 24hrs around my birthday this year. Flight delays, flights canceled, unexpected costs, stress, unhappiness, missing part of my vacation, and on and on….. I won’t lie, I had to fight back the tears. Ok, I did cry a little, but it was 2am, and I was exhausted and shocked at how much it cost to rebook my flights. Life lesson: never, ever, ever book the super discount rates for airline flights. Things can be too good to be true!
So here I was, sad, frustrated, missing part of my trip, disappointed about things that were not my fault, and feeling guilty about choosing to fix the situation. I knew I had to turn it around. I let myself cry for a few minutes. I talked to my husband and my best friend who both reminded me that experiences will live on forever and missing out is one of the greatest regrets. I fell asleep in an awful mood, which is not at all in my nature. Did unfortunate circumstances befall me? Yes. Were they the worst thing that could happen? No. Did I have the choice to feel bad about it? Yes. Did I also have the choice to turn it around and find the good in the situation? Yes.
Any of the unhappiness I was experiencing was all my fault. Life circumstances will happen to us. It’s how we choose to react that determines how we feel. I decided to make the best of my situation by staying at a unique hotel and enjoying the scenery while I spent my birthday alone. I had fun running around and taking pictures. I worked out. And in the end, I ended up making the best of the situation. I managed to meet up with my friends a day later and had only missed out on seeing one city. Our vacation turned out to be completely epic, and it was definitely something I would have regretted missing. I came back from the vacation completely refreshed and motivated. Now I just have to learn to smile through paying that next credit card bill!
Victor Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” My vacation delay was far from the concentration camp that Victor faced, but it was another example of how shifting your attitude towards a situation can change it altogether. Spending time with myself was a gift. As someone who over plans and stays busy all the time, it was the Universe giving me just a little time to myself to pause, reflect, reset, and remind myself that I control my future. I have to say that I’ve never been more inspired or in love with where my life is at the moment. I am making choices that bring me happiness every day, and I’m living my life as an inspiration for others.
I hope that some of my words, photos, and actions do in a way inspire you to reflect upon your own life. If something’s not going well, it’s probably all your fault. As I have said before, we can’t control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we choose to react to it. Can you shift your attitude to see any challenging circumstance as a chance to learn or redirect your energy? You can always find a way to make the best of any situation, and the solution comes from your attitude.
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