Our recent vacation gave me a reminder I wasn’t necessarily expecting. Stepping away from the week, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the Big 5 in full retrospect: Mindfulness, Movement, Connection, Food, and Sleep.
We went into the trip knowing there was a chance a hurricane could impact the island. What we didn’t expect was just how much.
No power for nearly 60 hours (which meant we had to take the stairs and got our movement in); no A/C (which made sleep a little fun); limited cell service; long gas lines (20-25 cars deep); limited food options (which forced us to be mindful).
It was a vacation that seemed determined to keep introducing new surprises. By most measures, it would have been easy to focus on everything that wasn’t going according to plan. But we also knew going into the week that we might have to pivot. Somewhere along the way, the same thought kept coming back.
You don’t always control the circumstances. You do control how you respond to them.
As the week unfolded, we adjusted. We made the best of things when we couldn’t control them. We explored when it was possible. And eventually, we got back out to enjoy parts of the island again (and the fish tacos). The trip became less about what wasn’t available and more about appreciating what was.
What stood out most, though, was something else – Connection.
During the storm, a former colleague and friend reached out and offered her home if we needed a place to stay. Later, when non-weather-related flight delays, cancellations, and reroutes started happening, that offer turned into a place to land, a great visit, and the chance to spend time with someone I’ve worked with and known for quite a while. We’ve often referred to ourselves as the OGs. Meeting her family was one of the biggest wins of the week.
It reminded me that some of the best things we gain through work aren’t tied to a title, project, or accomplishment. It’s the relationships. The people who stay in your corner long after the work is done.
As leaders, we spend a lot of time focused on execution, priorities, and outcomes. But moments like this should remind us that connection matters just as much.
Because when life throws you a hurricane, a flight cancellation, or any other unexpected detour, it’s often the people in your community, your network, and your life who make the biggest difference.
Connection for the WIN!
Unbecoming Kenneth 