On Sunday, I left my family at 2pm to fly to London. I had a good bit of work to do on the Aircoach to prepare for Monday, so the hour bus journey flew by.
A few hours later, I had a bit too much time on my hands, still in Dublin airport. The high winds across northern Europe meant the inbound flights were all delayed, so the outbound ones were severely disrupted too.
Not for the first time, my Sunday trip to London was an interesting one. Hardly anywhere to sit (and no airpods, I left them plugged in at home). Packed with people. Delays everywhere.
Not ideal. But not the end of the world, Man City vs Man Utd was on the TV, and I had a good book.
It was 10pm when I boarded the train in Gatwick, which was a slow one due to some work on the railway line.
As we approached Blackfriars, I could hear a homeless man working his way down the carriages. He repeated the same message every 10 metres or so. He was very apologetic, he really didn’t want to disturb anyone, especially on Sunday evening…if we could possibly muster up a few coins, he’d be ever so grateful.
I have to be honest, I was tired. My first internal reaction was “I don’t need this right now. Keep reading, I don’t even have change anyway, so just let him pass by”.
Then I was reminded of previous conversations with some homeless charity workers, and homeless people themselves. When I’ve no coins, food or water to offer them, acknowledge the person – make eye contact, speak to them.
So I looked up, feeling guilty for my initial reaction.
The man didn’t look anyone in the eye. He kept walking. I don’t think he’d have stopped if anyone offered him something, he seemed to have made his mind up.
He mumbled a few disgruntled words, expletives about his circumstances, and insults towards us other passengers. Then he repeated the message further on. He was genuinely worn out and frustrated.
It really woke me up.
Here I was, about to check into a comfortable hotel, ahead of doing some well-paid work in a wonderful city for 2 days, with some interesting and enthusiastic people.
When I left the train station, I was met with this wonderful view of London City.
I felt so privileged and so grateful. Yet ten minutes before, I felt so tired, frustrated, victimised by my day’s travel.
Nothing in my life’s circumstances had changed. Same city, same delays, same people around me.
What I was feeling earlier, that tension and irritation, wasn’t really about the delay or the overcrowding. It was about what I expected the day to be, versus what it was. I’d lost touch with the present moment.
Now, walking down Southbank, I felt present again.
That’s all that changed. And with that, my entire mood, state and experience was altered.
Chalk and cheese.
We all get caught up in the swirl. We feel victimised, we fall back ‘below the line’. We overplay the past, and worry about what’s ahead.
But equally, we all have the capacity to pause. To stop. To reset. To be present. To come back ‘above the line’.
If you think about similar moments in your day, week or lives to the one I shared above. Think about your energy, your state, your performance and your impact on others.
From irritation, to calm. The ripple effect can be huge. Huge for you, your loved ones and the people you work with.
Often, what we need isn’t a tighter plan. It’s a better mindset.
Try this, next time you’re stuck or thrown off course:
- Notice the story you’re telling yourself
- Ask what kind of energy you’re bringing into the room
- Choose again, if needed
We can’t always control the delays, the disruption or the unexpected detours.
But we can always choose how we respond.