Opportunity Ahead: Stay Focused on the Windshield View

On a recent flight, I got to looking at the motion sickness bag sitting right in front of me. It reminded me one of my first trips with my wife, Cathy. We took a trip to Las Vegas with four other couples to celebrate the birthday of a close friend. I really wanted to impress her, so I arranged for us to take a helicopter tour into the Grand Canyon and land for a picnic lunch. I was very excited about this trip and she seemed to be also.  

It was a beautiful day and after some initial training, we boarded the helicopter in the back seat while another couple rode up front with the pilot. After a smooth lift-off, the pilot began a tour around Vegas and then out to the Grand Canyon. It was so cool flying so close to the buildings and seeing Vegas from a new view. Cathy was smiling, but she did look a little pale. 

As I looked over at her, I noticed some small beads of sweat breaking out on her upper lip. I asked her if she was okay and she just smiled.  Soon after, our pilot put on some Top Gun music. Man, was this cool or what? Great music, not a cloud in the sky, and gorgeous views from every direction! I love it when a plan comes together.

Then everything went into slow motion as Cathy reached for the motion sickness bag and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. She was sick until we landed down in the Grand Canyon. The champagne I had planned for the occasion clearly wasn’t the right choice. But, the thing that impressed me the most was she kept a great attitude the entire time. She was even joking with me and the pilot about getting sick. So on the way back in, we rode up front with the pilot, and it really helped her being able to look straight out the front windshield.

That story reminds me of how fast things are moving and changing in the world today. We are faced with constant change and constant motion both in our professional and personal lives. I know I personally want to reach for that motion sickness bag some days when it seems overwhelming. I have realized that it is okay to get a little dizzy or sick because I have a great team supporting me. And just like Cathy, when I can have a windshield view of where we are going, the uneasy feeling goes away and is replaced with one of excitement. The excitement and opportunity of being part of a team on a journey of greatness are worth a little dizzy spell. The opportunity to grow toward my full potential is worth keeping a handy motion sickness bag around! 

Did I mention how beautiful the view was both above and down in the Grand Canyon? What an amazing creation! There’s no time to look in the rear view mirror. Let’s help each other focus on the windshield view to see the opportunities ahead.