Breathe Brother, Breathe
I travel a lot for the work I do. It’s part of the package, and I’ve learned to take it in stride. But that didn’t come naturally; I had to cultivate it. I grew up in New York and inherited a tendency to treat frustration with guttural harrumphs or other loud displays of displeasure. Often, I’d take out my grievances on the people around me, especially those whose job it was to serve me. That too seemed an expectation of any New Yorker’s outward reflection on the world.
Then, I had an epiphany. While I might not control things like flight delays, seating discomfort, or bad food, I could control how I responded to these inevitable occurrences.
Thus, was born Bill the Zen traveler! I found a way to let all these offenses roll off my shoulders. More so, I realized many other people were experiencing the same issues along with me. Why not, I thought, spend my energy on making people around me feel a bit better. All I needed to do was smile, or buy someone a cup of coffee, or offer them my little foil packet of airline pretzels. It would be easy!
I started by gifting myself a little time. I got into the habit of booking earlier flights to my gigs so I wouldn’t have to rush through airports worried about being late. And once I made that practical shift, the mental changes came quickly. The world inside airport terminals opened up to me. It was as if I’d…
