This past week, I spent several hours travelling to, and waiting in, an airport.  My wife had taken a short trip home to celebrate an important birthday with a family member and I was her chauffeur to and from the airport.  Personally, I find that airports can stir a lot of emotions.  First, there is the stress and anxiety of fighting traffic, parking, and getting to the right location on time.  Second, for me at least, airports can be relaxing, once you get settled in and have some down time before your next move.  I also find a childlike sense of adventure in airports, knowing that the planes and people you see could have been anywhere in the world just a few hours before.  This fact still amazes me even though I have spent literally months of my life in various airports.

Unfortunately, not everyone else feels that airports can be places of relaxation.  All over the news this morning was the story of a “brawl” that occurred at a Florida airport, started in part, by cancelled flights.  I do not know all the facts, but it is apparent that several people upset about the cancelled flights, got into physical altercations with each other as they vied for the attention of airline representatives.  While most people can appreciate the stress and anxiety of trying to get to an important event in another part of the country only to have your flight cancelled, most people would also question the wisdom of letting your emotions get out of control to the point that fights and arrests are the result.  These types of situations highlight the importance of developing emotional mastery at an individual and community level.

What are steps you have taken to develop your emotional mastery?  Is emotional mastery the most important factor in an individual’s ability to lead and grow?

• This topic was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by Kevin Mahoney. Reason: download error