𝗜 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗬 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬. 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟?

Recently, I spent two hours in traffic.

Somewhere I would usually find plenty of reasons to be frustrated.

This time, I was listening to a podcast.

Learning.

Enjoying the time.

The traffic was moving slowly, but the hours seemed to pass quickly.

That ordinary drive showed me how much something inside me was changing.

Through Byron Katie’s “The Work,” meditation, reading and a recent retreat in Cyprus, I am discovering the strength of words.

Especially the words I say to myself.

“I am stuck” leaves me feeling powerless.

“How can I use this time?” gives me a choice.

“This person is difficult” closes my curiosity.

“What am I missing?” helps me listen.

The situation may stay the same.

The words I choose can direct my attention toward where I want to go.

Just as I choose the food I put in my mouth, I am learning to choose what I feed my mind and soul.

The conversations, ideas and stories I take in.

And the ones I keep repeating.

Not every challenge feels good.

Some are disappointing.

Some are painful.

Yet I am learning to look for something useful within them.

A lesson.

A different perspective.

An opportunity to grow.

And this journey reaches far beyond me.

My family gets more of my attention.

I pause before replying.

Interrupt less.

Listen longer.

I am still learning, and some days I do this better than others.

At Zooey Aerospace, that practice shapes how I support customers and suppliers.

In aviation, pressure can arrive with the next call.

A delayed payment.

An unavailable part.

A repair taking longer than expected.

I cannot control every outcome.

I can control the care I bring to the conversation, the questions I ask and how I follow through.

For my family, customers, suppliers and communities, I hope that means someone calmer, more attentive and more willing to understand before responding.

That is how I want to keep growing into our promise.

Zooey Aerospace.

𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲.

A few thoughts to take into your next conversation:

Q: Can words remove a challenge?

A: They can help us see our choices within it.

Q: What helps me listen better?

A: Pausing before I prepare my answer.

Q: Where do I focus under pressure?

A: On what I can influence and the next useful action.

What words help you find your way through a difficult day?

I would love to learn from you. https://lnkd.in/p/da_BBQBz