Have you had a frustrating week?
I can certainly sense the frustration in some this week. I can hear it in people’s voices as I sit here in the Atlanta Airport. It reminds me of cargo that is deemed “frustrated” as it’s waiting for transport to its next location.
You see, in the Air Force, and being a former C-17 pilot, I took great pride in moving the variety of cargo we had in the back, whether is was people, parts or Pop Tarts (yep, I moved thousands of these to Iraq).
However, in every cargo yard you’re bound to find cargo that has become frustrated.
How does it become frustrated? Well…it happens for a variety of reasons. Maybe the shipping labels are wrong. Maybe the shipping documentation is inaccurate. Perhaps it’s too dirty to fly in the back of an airplane. Yes, we don’t accept some pallets of cargo that are filthy dirty, covered in bugs/creatures and such. Perhaps it’s now allowed in the next country due to recent changes. Whatever the reason, it simply cannot move forward. And if it sits in the yard long enough. Usually 72 hrs, it’s labeled “Frustrated Cargo” and no self respecting logistician or pilot likes to see frustrated cargo just sitting in the yard, taking up space.
But something happens when it reaches this state. Others start paying attention to it, trying to understand why it’s now moving and they start to prioritize the cargo to get it moving. And if possible, the discrepencies are corrected and it leaves on a flight.
As I look around the airport, I see a lot of frustrated cargo this week. I have no doubt, based on the conversations I hear, much of it relates to the election, but there are all kinds of other reasons as well.
As I listened to a gentlemen next to me on my last connecting flight, vemt a bit, I couldn’t help but ask him a question.
“I hear you, now what are you going to do to move forward?”
He looked at me as if I insulted him. I smiled and said, “the only way to become unfrustrated is to acknowledge the emotions you’re feeling and get moving.”
He thought for a bit and then asked, “Well, what should I do?”
“How about you think about a small step you can take to move forward, beyond this frustration.” I replied.
He said, “I used to read a lot but haven’t that much over the last several months. Maybe I could pick up where I left so many books behind.”
Sounded like a good plan to me. I even offered to buy him a book, but he simply smiled back and shook my hand in thanks.
As he walked away I can only hope he got on that train of “Action” and left the yard as unfrustrated cargo.
We don’t need to make things so complicated to get out of our funks and get back to sanity.
Whenever I get stuck, I go back to focusing on my breathing and think about a simple act I can take to move forward. Try it. I bet you’ll surprise yourself. And I hope you leave the yard and on to better locales.
#ElevatingOthers #CommandWithCourage #Frustration #KeepMoving
