What a Travel Delay Teaches Us About Trusting the Journey
I woke this morning expecting to head home. After two weeks away, first spending days with my mother and family, and then celebrating at Walden’s commencement. I was ready. You know that feeling: the anticipation of returning home, of slipping back into your routines, of savoring the comforts of your own space, especially with a birthday on the horizon.
But today didn’t go according to plan. My flight was canceled. Just like that, I found myself grounded—literally and figuratively. Rebooked for Tuesday, I took a breath and chose to trust that something better might unfold.
And sure enough, it did. Later this morning, a seat opened up on an earlier flight. Now I’m rebooked to fly tomorrow, just in time to arrive home before my birthday.
Yet here I am today, still away, with an unplanned day stretching out ahead of me. Eager to return but mostly at peace, relaxing into this unexpected pause.
It got me thinking: What lessons might this detour offer? How can moments like these teach us—not just me, but all of us—something valuable about how we meet the world, especially when the world doesn’t meet our expectations?
1. The lesson of surrender: Trust the process even when you can’t control it.
When I awoke to the news of my cancellation, there was that familiar impulse to act quickly: fix it, call, rearrange, solve. But once I accepted the rebooking, I felt a softening inside. I trusted that if it was meant to happen differently, it would.
That trust was rewarded, but more importantly, the trust itself changed my experience. Instead of spending the day agitated, I let myself relax into the uncertainty.
🔹 For you: Next time plans go awry, pause. Notice where you might soften. Trust that the universe—or life itself—has a rhythm, and you’re being invited to dance with it.
2. The lesson of presence: Make space for what the day offers.
With my plans shifted, today became a quiet day of rest. I could have filled it with busywork or frustration. But instead, I chose to just be here.
🔹 For you: When life gives you unexpected downtime, ask: “What is this day offering me?” Maybe it’s rest. Maybe it’s reflection. Maybe it’s simply permission to slow down.
3. The lesson of patience: Anticipation doesn’t have to mean impatience.
Am I eager to be home? Absolutely. But there’s a difference between anticipation and impatience. The first opens us up to joy; the second closes us off.
🔹 For you: Can you hold joyful anticipation without needing to rush? The moment you’re waiting for will come—but so will this moment pass. Why not enjoy them both?
4. The lesson of flexibility: When we bend, we don’t break.
Rigid attachment to plans breeds disappointment. Flexibility allows us to pivot gracefully. Being flexible today meant enjoying the extra day, savoring a different rhythm, and trusting that I’ll still be home before my birthday.
🔹 For you: How might flexibility feel like a strength rather than a compromise in your own life?
When life delays us, what deeper journey is it inviting us to take?
Milton Erickson often suggested that the mind, and indeed, the unconscious, seeks opportunities for learning and growth, often beneath the surface of our awareness. A flight delay, a canceled plan… these are subtle invitations to deepen our relationship with trust, presence, patience, and flexibility.
When you feel delayed, when life doesn’t move on your timeline, consider this: Perhaps life is right on time, but offering you a different lesson, a different path, a different way home than the one you planned.
What is this delay teaching me?
For me today, it’s a reminder that even when things feel disrupted, life itself isn’t disrupted. The present moment is always intact. I am still here. I am still whole. I am still moving forward, even while standing still.
And soon enough, I’ll be home.
Until then, I’m grateful for the gift of today: a day to practice surrender, presence, patience, and flexibility.
And maybe that’s the greatest birthday gift of all.
✨ The next time life rearranges your plans, try this:
Take a breath.
Ask yourself: “What is this experience offering me right now?”
And trust that your journey is unfolding perfectly—even when it surprises you.
With appreciation,
Dr. Mark Arcuri
Orlando, FL