A few days ago I returned from a business trip to São Paulo, Brazil. Then, last night I learned that almost 200 people perished in a tragic accident in which an airliner burst into flames after trying to land at São Paulo's Congonhas Airport. Apparently, Flight 3054, an Airbus-320, wasn't able to land on the runway and tried to take off again. The plane cleared both an airport fence at the end of the runway and a busy highway, but slammed into a gas station and a building, causing an inferno that killed not only all of the passengers and crew on board, but also a number of people in the building. Other victims of this tragedy on the ground were reported to be missing and presumed dead, and many others were injured. The President of Brazil declared three days of national mourning for the country's second major air disaster in less than a year.
Notwithstanding the many questions that are now being raised about the safety and capacity of Brazil's aviation systems, this particular accident "hit home" for me on several, very personal levels. I guess that you could call it a "meaning moment" since it forced me to reflect upon my own recent travel experience from Brazil and, more importantly, on what really matters in the broader scheme of life itself. Indeed, it is tragedies like what happened in São Paulo that open up the windows to our soul and, hopefully, give us a glimpse of the miracle of life and the blessings that surround it--if we choose to take notice.
I was scheduled to depart São Paulo from its other airport, which is located in the suburb of Guarulhos about 25 kilometers from downtown, at 8:20 p.m. After a short delay in the boarding process, it looked like we were on our way for the 10 hour flight to Chicago. Unfortunately, what seemed like a smooth departure from São Paulo turned out to be a 48 hours marathon to my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico USA! It began with a four hour delay on the runway tarmac, during which time very little information was being shared with passengers and, it seemed, even with the flight crew. And, as you can imagine, the 350 passengers were becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated as "precious" time slowly passed by. The seconds seemed like hours, the hours like days.
We were already in the next day when the announcement was made that the airplane had major mechanical problems and couldn't fly. Hence, our flight was cancelled and it was too late (or early) to begin re-booking passengers on flights beginning the following afternoon. We were subsequently instructed to deplane and board buses for nearby hotels where we would all spend the rest of the night. As I looked around at my fellow passengers, I observed a wide range of reactions: disbelief, fear, anger, and even excitement. Of course, I knew that I would miss my connecting flight in Chicago. Yet, I felt a calmness surround me in the midst of all of the chaos and confusion. I recall telling myself that it was better getting off the airplane now--at the airport--than it would have been to have mechanical trouble after we took off! With this as my starting point, I then started playing with the "10 Positive Things" Exercise (See Chapter 4 in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts) in my head as I followed the line to the buses: "I didn't have an important meeting or event to attend right away, so didn't need to rush home"; "I was safe"; "I had a place to spend the night comfortably"; "My Blackberry email service was working so I could keep in touch with loved ones and others who were concerned about me"; "I had met some wonderful people in Brazil who had become my traveling partners"; and so on.
As always, this exercise worked for me (o.k., I admit, practice makes perfect). Interestingly, I also found myself using this exercise with others, unbeknownst to them, who were facing more stressful circumstances than me. I met one couple, for instance, who were going to miss connecting with a cruise ship that they had planned for over a year! But, believe it or not, together we were able to find the "silver lining" in their predicament and move through the grief with grace, determination, and a sense of humor. Like myself, these traveling souls were willing and able to put the situation into perspective. And, as a consequence, they became more resilient to the stresses they (and all of us) faced and even, I would venture to say, enjoyed the experience! Obviously, the situation was outside of our control, so we all needed to rely on our ultimate freedom to choose our response to the situation.
My traveling experience from São Paulo, Brazil, as stressful and as unfortunate as it may have been, pales in comparison to the horrors that must have been experienced by those involved in the demise of Flight 3054. In fact, I can't begin to imagine what these unfortunate people had to go through and don't want to marginalize their plight by trying to draw a comparison to my own recent experience. The point is: I feel truly blessed to have only experienced what I did on my trip home. I not only arrived home safely, I learned a great deal about myself and others along the way. And I now have the opportunity to grow and develop further as a result of my experience in São Paulo. I owe it to myself, to others, and especially to the victims of Flight 3054 to live the rest of my life with meaning and not take anything for granted. Indeed, the meaning of life is meaning. Please don't forget it. Now go pay it forward!
Do you take your life for granted?
Or, do you feel that your life is a blessing?
All the best,
Alex
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
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