Traveling is a reminder that Murphy was right--whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Two days ago, I was scheduled to fly from Telluride, Colorado to Los Angeles. I was lucky to be flying out Sunday morning since a snow storm was blowing into Telluride that was certain to shut down the airport. Now granted, there are worse things than being stuck in Telluride with two feet of fresh powder, but I needed to be at a meeting with a client in L.A. by Monday at 8am so an extra day of skiing was not on my agenda. First the flight was delayed, then we were told that all of the luggage had to be removed from the plane because they needed to lower the weight of the plane because of the intense storm we were headed straight into (fun!). The delay caused me to miss my connecting flight to L.A. and I had to be rebooked on a later flight and then when I arrived in L.A. I learned that my luggage was still in Telluride because they closed the airport before our bags could get out. The soonest I would receive my bag would be a day later which meant I would be meeting with the CEO and VP of Sales of one of my largest clients in the ski sweater and jeans I had traveled in the day before. Sound like a travel log from hell? Actually, it wasn't.

While the circumstances were, shall we say, suboptimal, without exception the people I encountered on this trip were shining examples of customer service and helpfulness. The gate agent in Telluride who was scrambling to reassure everyone that we would get out of that mountain village, the flight attendant on the bumpy ride through the storm who melted everyone's anxiety with his dry wit and exceptional service, the gate agent in Phoenix who efficiently rebooked my connecting flight, the baggage services agent who showed empathy for my situation and assured me that she would do whatever she could to reunite me with my bag. All exceptional.

The man waiting in line behind me in the baggage services office who was also missing his bag had a very different day. He was tired of waiting for the clerk to help me and so loudly demanded to know how much longer he was going to have to wait. The clerk apologized and said, "I'm sorry, sir. I will be with you next." He exploded, "Next?! How long will that be? I don't want to hear 'next'. I want to know how much longer I have to stand here." (I should mention he had been waiting somewhere between 5-10 minutes so apparently this man is on a much tighter timetable than the mere mortals who were also missing luggage and patiently waiting to be helped.) The baggage agent, who apparently is a Zen master, continued to help me without missing a beat. Seeing that his temper flare-up had not moved him to the front of the line, he launched into full tantrum. "You are representative of the complete degradation of the American workforce. You can't even bother to tell me how much longer I I'll have to wait? How f***ing rude! If you worked for me, I'd fire your ass so fast." His face was red and his veins were popping out of his neck. I wasn't sure if we going to need a defibrillator or a taser by the time all was said and done.

As I layed in bed that night, I thought back on the events of that day with gratitude for all of the people who had done everything they could to help me make the best of a difficult trip. I thought about the "King of All He Could See" who had melted down in the baggage services office. I'm willing to bet that the young woman he unloaded on in front of me was not the only negative interaction he had with an airline employee that day. Attitudes are as viral as the common cold--they are very catching. I learned a long time ago that the attitude you portray to another human being is a pretty good indicator of the attitude you're going to get back from that individual. When traveling, I know that I am at the mercy of the helpfulness, or lack thereof, of the airline employees. Being rude and demanding with them is not going to get me what I want. I acknowledge that I need their help and I show gratitude and appreciation when I receive it. I expect the best from people and I'm rarely disappointed. This guy, on the other hand, was looking for a fight.

Don't like the response or behavior you're getting from people in your life (co-workers, customers, kids, etc.)? Examine your behavior first. Make sure your attitude is a worth catching!