I'm not going to lie - this past week wasn't a standout, but has unexpectedly turned positive. Not one thing stood out, but one of those weeks where things didn't click like I had hoped they would.
It would be easy to blame external factors, and some of that might be true. But the reality is, most of it was my own mindset, which is a good thing! We can't control other people or situations, but we can control our own attitude. And that's exactly what I did.
Watching TV last night, I stumbled across a documentary on The Blue Angels on Amazon Prime, and by the end of it my attitude switch has been flipped and I find myself with a new favorite phase that I've started using.
"I'm happy to be here." -- I'll elaborate more on that in a minute.
The Blue Angels have been around since 1946. Just after World War II, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester Nimitz didn't want the public to forget the US Navy's aviation group as well as wanted to keep navy morale high. So the Blue Angels were established and have been captivating audiences ever since.
I've never seen an official performance by the Blue Angels in person, but I do have fond memories of them. While vacationing multiple times in Gulf Shores, Alabama I've been able to relax on the beach and watch their practices up and down the coastline as they worked on their routine. This is a common site there, with the headquarters for the Blue Angels being just up the road in Pensacola, Florida.
The documentary offered a glimpse into the world of the Blue Angels showcasing their dazzling mid-air acrobatics along with some amazing tight maneuvers. What truly captured my attention was the dedication required to join this elite group. The sacrifices they make and the unwavering attention to detail that they must execute with every practice and every show. The pressure that they perform under is immense, yet they deliver flawless performances. Eventually. What we witness at air shows is the result of countless hours of practice - in the cockpit, with meticulous reviews of flight footage and through intense visualization routines.
What struck me most about the men and women featured in the document was their demeanor under pressure and their overall professionalism. When they greet their peers or others that they interact with, they will often be heard saying that they are "glad to be here." As stated in a recent Forbes Magazine article about the Blue Angels and this phrase, "The phrase is deeply embedded in their high performance culture." And frankly, I'm trying my best to adopt it into my life too.
For the Blue Angels, success hinges on two critical elements; trust and a deep sense of gratitude. Their ability to trust their teammates is at a life-or-death level. Some of the moves featured in the documentary show the planes as close as 12" from one another as they jet across the sky. Similarly, living with a grateful attitude can enrich every aspect of life. Expressing gratitude fosters deeper and more meaningful relationships, both at work and at home.
Cultivating a "glad to be here" mentality fosters a positive outlook for yourself and those around you. I've already started to incorporate this phrase with people when they ask me how things are going. Genuine use of this phrase helps me to keep my attitude in check. After all, I started all this off saying that it was my attitude that needed changed; no one and nothing else. Simply reminding myself to cultivate gratitude has had a remarkable impact on my outlook.
The "glad to be here" approach can also have impact on those around you. In most work situations, there are things to be grateful for, even though we tend to focus on the negative. A life of gratitude shifts our priorities, prompting us to acknowledge the positive before dwelling on the negative. For the Blue Angels, this gratitude is particularly people-centered. When they say "glad to be here," it implies (and often explicitly states) that they're happy to be sharing the experience with you, the audience and with their peers.
It is a powerful statement, and one that I hope to share more frequently. While I may never soar across the sky the way the Blue Angels do at dozens of shows each year, I do aspire to embody the leadership and positive attitude that the Blue Angels show every day.
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