On Thursday, I missed a flight by one minute. It was more like 17 seconds. This was a first for me and you are right to guess it was a very stressful moment. In fact, the plane was still boarding when I arrived at the check-in desk; however, since only 29 minute remained before take-off, it was determined that I would not clear security and make it to the gate within the time left. I knew I could do; however, the airline had certain policies and I did not receive a boarding pass. Passengers must arrive 30 minutes prior to departure: it was an absolute cutoff.
Of course, in my head, I started to blame all kinds of external factors: the extremely slow traffic I had encountered, the major accident on I-94, the road construction, and the desk clerk at the airline. Yet, after a few weak moments, I realized there were empty excuses. Excuses are mental tricks to protect oneself. Clearly, this was my fault: had a left my house 30 minutes sooner, this would have not been a problem.
I did get another flight; however, I had to wait to Friday morning. And I made sure to get there early!
What are your excuses? Time to re-think them. Take responsibility for your actions, your reactions, and their consequences.
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