I recently heard a speech by Tammie Jo Shultz, the Southwest pilot who successfully landed the plane after the engine exploded, breaking a window, depressurizing the cabin, and partially ejecting a passenger. The vibrations and noise made communication almost impossible, but she was able to contact the tower and receive clearance to land at a nearby airport.
Shultz attributed some of her calmness in the emergency to her daily routine. She practices what she called “bookends of the day”—beginning with a peaceful reflection in the morning and ending with a prayer at night. These practices provide stability in her life, which carries over to her piloting experiences.
Pilots probably don’t like to use the word “grounded” but it’s what the bookends did for Schultz, grounding her in a presence that transcends all the noise of the day and allows her to begin and end her days with intentionality.
If your day begins with a frantic dash after the alarm goes off and ends when Netflix asks if you are still watching, perhaps you could benefit from your own bookends.
