What Do You Believe is Possible?
Five years ago this month, I was at the airport in Portland, Oregon, awaiting a flight to San Francisco. I was on my way to the Consulate to apply for a passive income visa so I could move to Portugal.
I had scheduled and cancelled 2 scouting trips to tour the country and see if it felt right for me. But we were still dealing with Covid, and both trips were cancelled.
I scheduled a third trip, and then realized:
I don’t want to get my hopes up for this grand adventure again, only to have the rug pulled out from under me.
So instead of scouting, I decided to move. I could always move back if it was the wrong choice. I did the research and jumped through the online hoops to book an appointment to apply for my visa.
My flight to SFO was at 6pm. I wanted to get to my hotel in plenty of time, have a good dinner, a solid night’s sleep, sift through my visa materials one last time to be sure all was in order.
That’s not how things played out.
My plane had mechanical issues.
We were delayed once, twice, three times.
The pilots timed out. They were no longer able to fly, so they went to their hotel.
Half of the flight crew timed out.
New crew arrived. A new co-pilot arrived.
The plane was not yet ready to fly.
I was rebooked on a 6am flight that would land me in San Francisco in time for rush hour traffic. The odds of being on time for my visa appointment were slim. If I was more than a few minutes late, I’d have to reschedule.
I remember commiserating with other passengers, ‘this can’t be happening to me.’
I meant it. This Can’t Be Happening To Me.
I had spent months planning for this appointment, sold or given away the majority of my possessions. My condo resembled an echo chamber with so few remaining possessions.
I had done my research, done all the due diligence, I was wholly prepared for this meeting.
Yet the odds were very good that I’d be a no-show! This Can’t Be Happening To Me.
What Was Impossible?
I had very little control.
I couldn’t fix the plane. I couldn’t alter the timeout rules. I couldn’t fly the plane to San Francisco.
What Was Possible?
After a couple of hours of hand wringing, I realized I was awash in the angsty energy; I had surrendered my ability to be hopeful, to think positively, to trust that things would work out.
I had begun to panic and imagine all the bad things that might happen if I couldn’t get to San Francisco on time.
Then, I remembered.
I am the microcosm of the macrocosm. The Universe is a vast field of potentiality, where literally all things are possible. That’s not New Age nonsense, that’s quantum reality.
I wasn’t in control of anything, yet I had 100% agency over my attitude, energy and conscious awareness.
I consciously chose to invest my energy in the potentiality of being on time to the Consulate in the morning.
I walked to an empty gate nearby and began by visualizing myself entering the doors of the consulate, riding the elevator to the appropriate floor, introducing myself to the guard and having my name checked off on the list. I knew this was the process from the research I had done to prepare for my appointment.
I visualized it repeatedly, until I believed it was not only possible, it was probable! This calmed my emotions, shifted me out of fear and panic.
I did some great clearing: letting go of disappointment, fear, anxiety, frustration, anger and helplessness.
I acknowledged that I could choose to fly in the morning, or I could wait and see what might happen next with the airline.
It was 10pm, and there was still time to fly to San Francisco. I chose to wait.
Calmly, I returned to the gate. There was still plenty of agitation with passengers who were hedging their bets to see if the plane would fly that evening. I remained calm and contained, present to what is possible.
Fifteen or twenty minutes later, an announcement was made that there was a flight from the same airline preparing to land in Portland. The pilot flying the plane was San Francisco based.
He would be presented the opportunity to fly to San Francisco tonight instead of in the morning. He was still within his window to fly, but it was his call to make – fly home or head to his hotel.
I knew. I saw it so clearly. He was going to come to the gate and fly the plane.
I walked to the gate counter, shifted my flight back to the evening flight and awaited word that the pilot would fly the plane.
Not long after, he was on the plane, and we were boarding.
I landed in San Francisco at 1am, got to my hotel at 2am.
I slept for a few hours, got out of bed, showered and walked to my appointment at the consulate.
I entered the doors of the building, stepped on the elevator, rode to the appropriate floor, gave my name to the guard in the lobby, watched him check the box next to my name. Exactly as I had visualized.
Here’s what I did:
Now, let’s get clear. I didn’t make the pilot agree to fly.
I didn’t repair the plane.
I didn’t ensure the remaining crew stuck around to get the bird in the air!I stepped out of the drama and angst.
None of that was mine to do.
I visualized what was possible and aligned with it.
I released anything in my field that was resonating with what might not be possible.
I remained in that calm, clear space while I waited for next steps.
I sat in the knowing that what seemed like absolute impossibility was actually unseen possibility.
