Recently, I found myself at a crossroads while attending a conference. Hurricane Helena was hitting the U.S., and travel disruptions were inevitable. I faced a tough choice: Should I stay for Day 2 and risk getting stranded at the airport, or forfeit my airline ticket and catch a ride home with a friend, Ann Wright, who was leaving early to avoid the storm?

The decision wasn’t easy. I wanted to stay, and I didn’t want to lose the value of my airline ticket, but the thought of being stuck at an airport was unsettling. There were so many unknowns!

In the end, I chose to ride home with Ann. We spent nine hours in the car, and the time flew by, thanks to our wonderful conversation. I was grateful for the ride, but I wanted to contribute by paying for gas. Ann, however, wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, she asked me to donate to a food bank if I felt inclined. What a beautiful, generous suggestion. Her good heart left a lasting impression on me.

The outcome of my decision couldn’t have been better. Not only did I get home safely and ahead of the storm, but I was also refunded the full amount for my airline ticket, and the conference recorded Day 2, so I didn’t miss any of the valuable content!

Less than 24 hours earlier, I had been stressing about worst-case scenarios—imagining myself stuck, sleeping on a cot in O’Hare airport. Instead, I was reminded of some important life lessons.

My Takeaways and my Coaching Tips:

• There’s beauty in life’s disruptions—look for them.

• Notice the goodness in others, and make sure they see their beauty too.

• Be intentional about multiplying goodness into the world.

Ann’s heart of service inspired me. In honor of her kindness, I not only took a couple of bags to the food bank, but I also donated the amount of my refunded airline ticket. Abundance flows when we let it.