We’ve been talking a lot about planning lately. I mean, it’s the end of the year, right? It’s what we do.

Well.

Sometimes plans get blown up with a big KABOOM!

Like what happened with me last week.

Everything was going according to plan. My clients were celebrating banner months and I was prepping for a live event. Everything was fine.

Until my chronic stomach pain decided I wasn’t.

The next thing I know, instead of hitting the road for my speech, I’m en route to the hospital. It was not supposed to be like this.

I get to the ER and they admit me for emergency gallbladder surgery.

Oops. There go my plans.

There went the event that I was supposed to speak at the next day and then the second event I’d been anticipating attending for over a year.

And this is where it gets good.

Nothing horrific happened.

No one was mad.

I mean, they were sad and concerned. But they were not put out or upset that I couldn’t be there to speak in front of 20 high performance people who are committed to making a dent in the universe.

Nor did they take it personally that I couldn’t be at our transformational leaders retreat which is similar to an industry holiday party.

All because of our relationships.

The event hosts and I are lucky enough to have such bonds that they understood and found someone to fill my spots as soon as they heard.

They didn’t bellyache and complain about how I had inconvenienced them. They know me and how I work because we have a close working relationship based on trust and communication.

It’s a fabulous feeling to know that my name will stay intact for them, despite having to cancel at the last minute.

Not everyone can say that.

Not everyone can say that they can reschedule clients who have immediate demands, but are happy and willing to let me recover before I get back to them on their needs.

But I can.

Not because I’m special (I mean, I AM…but so are you). It’s because I’ve taken the time to nurture and tend to them and build relationships with roots that run deep…with both colleagues and clients.

Most people don’t see emergency gallbladder surgery as something to be grateful for. But I am.

I’m deeply, deeply grateful for being able to cancel events without tarnishing my name, reschedule clients who need me without losing their trust and business, and I’m deeply grateful that this long time pain in my belly will now be gone. For good.

As you read this piece I hope that you were able to see people and things that you can be grateful for and I hope that it prompts you to let them know.

Until next time…stay passionate!