I’d started with a quote from Nepo’s new book, Endless
Practice, and how life is not about arriving, but growing and engaging in being
human. With a mix of stories and the
work of Bennett, Everly, Seligman, and Fredrickson, the talk followed a path from
adaptation, resilience, thriving, to flourishing. I ended with, “What will you
do different tomorrow to engage your resilience?” Susan drove me back to the Detroit-Metro
airport and by 5:15pm, the small twin-engine regional jet was in the air.
Clouds covered the whole trip back, and as we started our
decent into a rainy Houston, the turbulence increased. Martha (92 years old) was sitting in the aisle
seat, and headed for her great granddaughters high school graduation. As the bumps got worse, I could feel her body
lean towards me, as she was desperate to see out the window. I gently took her closest hand, and just held
it. She took a deep breath and her calmness
was almost immediate. When we landed,
she silently mouthed, “thank you”. Today,
engage in being human and grow.
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