TGIM: From Singapore

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr The same 75-degree pool feels cool if you’re jumping in after the hot tub and warm if you’re getting in after a cold plunge. It’s all about perspective.
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We have embarked on the trip of a lifetime, and today I have the pleasure of writing to you all from halfway around the world. Apart from New Year’s, my favorite editions of TGIM to write are while we travel, because it is dedicated time for pausing and reflection. I will keep it brief, though, as we are preparing to board the ship to tour Southeast Asia for the next two weeks!
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To backtrack a few days, we were at JFK waiting on the tarmac to take off on the world’s longest direct flight, NY to Singapore. Eagerly awaiting the official start of vacation, in typical NY fashion, the snow began to fall. The pilot came over the loudspeaker to announce we would be delayed 15 minutes due to the sudden onset of weather and air traffic congestion.
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No big deal, an extra 15 minutes on top of the anticipated 19 hours, what’s the difference?
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After the initial 15 minutes passed, the pilot came back over the loudspeaker: with the temperature dropping below freezing, the plane now had to undergo a de-icing procedure. Tack on another 30 minutes.

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While this was all going on, two of the flight attendants told the passengers in front of us about how excited the crew was to see the snow. Many of them are based out of Singapore and have never seen snow before. A mild inconvenience to New Yorkers was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of them.
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Amidst the hurried frustration of wanting to get the trip started, it gave perspective on how narrow-minded we can be. The slight delay didn’t impact our trip in the grand scheme of things, and that might be a memory some of the crew may have forever.
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When you’re feeling angry or frustrated about a situation, consider what is objectively true and what is your perspective. If someone else with different past experiences were in the same situation, would they react differently? Can you consider a different point of view to help find a solution?
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Everything we see is through the lens of the life we have lived thus far. Therefore, try to change the lens through which you are seeing the situation to approach it differently.
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That’s all I’ve got for you today. I hope it serves you in some capacity this week.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to the TGIM list.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Michael Smoak’s The HigherUp Podcast, “Jesse Itzler: The Two Rules That Create Life-Changing Opportunities.”
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With that, I will talk to you guys next week!
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Until next time,
Shannon