A “Symphony of Your Life” blog with Mark Hardcastle

April 5, 2021. Where do you do your thinking? When do you have those epiphanies? (You do have them, right? Do you write them down?) My friend, Rear Admiral Scott Jones, Ironman, Champion Triathlete, says his brain doesn’t kick in until his heart rate hits 125. In my case it’s when I’ve been walking for about 45 minutes. I often do that walking in the nearby Willow Springs Open Space. I call it The Meadow of Wisdom.

Today at about that point in that open space it occurred to me that my peers in the airline world are generally high achievers. They exist in the world of about 95%. They show up to every flight prepared, competent, happy to be there, and ready to give great service. That’s sustainable. It’s a level of excellence that isn’t exhausting and won’t lead to burnout.

But what would it look like if they showed up with 97 or 98% of their ability? How would their passengers experience the flight?

In his inspirational presentations, my friend, Captain Bob Zimmermann often asks listeners to raise a hand as high as they can. He then asks them to raise it a little bit more. Inevitably they do!

And then there’s this. What do you have if you have a pot of water at 211 degrees Fahrenheit? The answer is a pot of really hot water. But what happens when you add just enough additional energy to raise that water one more degree? This answer is…”magic.” With that tiny addition of just a little more heat, water boils!

So I find myself asking what might happen if I were to bring that extra little bit to my flight? What is possible if I’m able to find that last little bit of energy? I wonder what kind of magic might happen. How would it change the way my passengers experience the flight?

My imagination tells me that in that transition from 211 degrees to 212, my passengers are no longer just flying from point A to point B. When the water boils, again, in my imagination, the flight might actually become an extraordinary experience.

And now, thanks to 45 minutes of walking in The Meadow of Wisdom, I have a new ambition.

Which leads to a few questions for you to consider as you start your day. First, have you recognized that there’s a place/time/condition in which you have your best ideas? Can you reproduce that? And then… what would it look like if you were able to take what you do from 211 degrees to 212? What sort of magic might occur? What kind of extraordinary experience could you create?

Let me know what you come up with. This could be good!

Thanks for reading.

Captain Mark

Link to Mark’s book, The Symphony of Your Life

The Symphony of Your Life    

The Symphony of Your Life on YouTube

Mark graduated from the USAF Academy in 1982. After nine years as a pilot on active duty, he left the military to join a commercial airline. In addition to flying B-737s around the country, Hardcastle spends time in the Rocky Mountains and serves on the artistic staff of the Colorado Children’s Chorale. He lives in Centennial, Colorado, with his wife and four children. Need some help figuring out why you’re on this planet? Want to talk about discovering your mission and purpose? Contact Mark today at 720.840.8361 to schedule a free personal consultation. He can also deliver an inspirational keynote or workshop for your organization! email: mark@symphonyofyourlife.com for information.

Posted in Inspiration, Motivation, UncategorizedTagged BeingUnited, CaptainsLog, determination, how, inspiration, NewWorld, perseverance, PostCovid, purpose, StayInTheProcess, StepOverTheBar, symphonyofyourlife, TheSymphonyofYourLife, United, WeAreUnited