becoming socialOn the 30th December I had to get a flight to San Francisco. Why? Because I needed to retain my Platinum status on American Airlines. I was just 450 miles short of 50,000, and there was no way I was going to lose the opportunity to upgrade. Nothing was going to stop me taking the chance to get on the plane first, and get the best seats in 2014!

So I wake Monday morning ready to go, and I swear I had the flu. I felt lousy. I knew something was up Sunday night when I went to bed feeling off color. I dragged myself to the airport, but as I walked in the whole place started spinning. I had to drop everything and lay on the floor. Eventually the spins stopped, the sweats stopped, and I was able to head over the check in counter.

The girl behind the desk could tell I wasn’t feeling good, but she got me set up and off I went. I knew no matter how bad I felt I needed to plough through it. I took some deep breaths, stood up, sat down, and stood up again. I decided I was going to make the best of this day no matter what.

So, I flew to San Francisco. I tried to get a flight back right away, but the problem was they were fully booked. Even with Platinum Status I couldn’t get on another flight until the end of the day. So, I decided to go and see a friend of mine.

 I went to grab a coffee and while I was there, three women and a guy walked in and started talking. Like I normally do I couldn’t help joining in, and after about ten minutes the conversation turned to what I did for a living. I told them, and within seconds it turned into a free for all discussion about dating and relationships. They were extremely interesting and engaging people.

Then I met up with my friend. They drove me around Oakland which I’d never seen before. I called a client I knew lived in the area and spent some time with them too. We walked around a little bit, we had a great conversation, and then I headed back to the airport. It was lovely seeing my friend, and I had a great time with my client too. When I got to the airport I was standing next to this woman and ended up talking to her for about an hour about her trip to Vegas.

And then the funniest thing happened. As I was waiting for the plane I’d booked to go back to Los Angeles, there was a group of people standing around. They were talking about having to do the Platinum and Executive Platinum trip. It turned out all of us were on that plane just to get the miles we needed to retain our status on American. They were a really nice group and it was a pleasant trip home.

I suddenly remembered how bad I’d felt in the morning. As a matter a fact, I’d felt so lousy I didn’t think I’d make it through the day. All I wanted to do was crawl home, roll into a ball, and get into bed. But I didn’t. I pushed though it and ended up having an amazingly fun day. It was a great way to end my year. I’d had a blast, and I realized no matter how physically run down, sick, emotionally broken you feel, you choose what kind of day you’re going to have.

I chose how my day was going to go. I chose to have the best day I possibly could, even though I wasn’t feeling good. I had a low-grade fever all day long, and I had nausea, but that wasn’t going to stop me from being present and enjoying myself all day as much as I could.

So now it’s 2014, and it’s time to stop making excuses. There’s no reason not to have an amazing day every day. It’s all mindset. I pushed on even though I didn’t feel like it. I was lying on the airport floor, soaking in sweat, full of fever, but I knew with the power of the mind I could get through. Your mind is so powerful it can ward of almost anything.

Living within the power of your mind. What I great way I ended 2013. As a matter of fact I’d like to do it again. When I was flying home I thought to myself, “Where can I go next year just for the hell of it?”

It’s so great just hopping on a plane and getting lost in a city. It’s fun walking on a plane with absolutely zero luggage. You never know who you’re going to meet. Life is an amazing gift, and I want all of you in 2014 to really embrace the gift of life. There are so many people out there who want to meet you.

There are so many people who want to share experiences with you. It’s not always about hooking up with women. It’s not always about getting a girlfriend. It’s about sharing life with each other. It was a great way to end my year. In fact, it was one of the best entries into a new year I’ve ever had!